Best Buy’s getting back into the third-party marketplace game. Yes, again.
After quietly shutting down its original U.S. marketplace in 2016 due to weak demand, Best Buy is now rolling out a revamped version this summer, powered by Mirakl. If that name sounds familiar, it should—Mirakl also runs the backend for marketplaces at Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Kroger.
This time, it might actually matter. Here’s why.
The catch: This is Best Buy’s second swing
Best Buy isn’t new to this play. It had a U.S. marketplace from 2011–2016 that flopped. Too little scale, too much competition. It’s had more success in Canada, but never cracked the U.S. code.
So what’s different now?
- Mirakl infrastructure: Mirakl gives legacy retailers a Shopify-style plug-and-play model for third-party sellers. It works for Macy’s and others, so the tech isn’t the problem this time. ✅
- A leaner Best Buy: Store closures, better app experience 📱, and an actual retail media network (Best Buy Ads) means they’ve trimmed the fat and monetized the eyeballs 👀.
Why it matters: Marketplace = margin magic
Marketplace models are financial steroids for retailers. You get:
- Wider assortment without buying inventory 📦
- More traffic from long-tail SKUs 🧲
- Advertising revenue from third-party brands 💸
- More data for ad targeting and customer modeling 🧠
And the kicker? Sellers shoulder the operational risk.
Amazon built its empire on this play. Walmart’s marketplace GMV hit record highs in Q4. Target is onboarding Shopify sellers. Everyone’s doing it—because it works when executed well.
Operator POV: What this means for sellers
If you’re a DTC brand or marketplace-native seller, Best Buy’s entry is a signal:
- New distribution channel: Especially for electronics-adjacent products that don’t always thrive on Amazon’s vast, hyper-competitive marketplace. 🧼
- Media leverage: With Social+, Best Buy lets advertisers target its first-party audiences off-platform on Facebook and Instagram. Add that to its Roku and CNET partnerships, and you’ve got a decent retail media network playbook. 🎬
- In-store returns: Marketplace orders will be returnable in-store, solving a major pain point and potentially improving conversion. 🔁
It’s not Amazon-level scale, but if you’re already juggling Walmart, Target Plus, and Amazon, it’s worth testing. Especially with paid Best Buy memberships nearing 8 million, and nearly half of online orders picked up in-store 🏪.
But don’t drink the Kool-Aid just yet
Let’s not pretend Best Buy’s Q4 was fireworks.
- Overall revenue dropped from $14.65B to $13.95B YoY.
- Full-year sales fell 4.4%, and U.S. ecommerce sales declined 0.8% over the year.
- Tariff drama is hanging over FY26 like a storm cloud. With up to 25% tariffs on goods from China and Mexico, price hikes are “highly likely,” per CEO Corie Barry.
And yes, inflation is still a drag. Consumers are bargain hunting 🏷️. Not splurging on drones and $2,000 laptops.
So what?
Best Buy launching a marketplace in 2025 isn’t revolutionary. It’s a survival play. But it’s a smart one—and maybe the only one left if they want to stay relevant in an Amazon-dominated world.
For sellers, it’s another channel with actual reach, built-in trust, and a better shopper profile than most marketplaces.
Just don’t expect miracles. Expect optionality. 🧩
