Retail Marketplaces Strategy: What Best Buy, Target, and Nordstrom Get Right

• T-ROC Staff
• Jan 30, 2026
• 3 mins read

Retail marketplaces are no longer side projects. They now sit at the center of enterprise planning for some of the most recognizable brands in the country.

At NRF 2026, leaders from Best Buy, Target, and Nordstrom shared a consistent message. Marketplaces work best when they serve the customer first and the enterprise as a whole.

This shift carries lessons for every retailer weighing marketplace expansion.

Marketplaces as an Enterprise Strategy

Each brand made a clear point. Their marketplace efforts were never treated as standalone digital experiments.

At Target, marketplace supports what the brand already stands for. Product curation. Trend discovery. Brand trust. Marketplace data helps teams spot emerging demand while keeping the experience familiar.

Nordstrom followed a similar path. Marketplace was introduced to serve more customers on more occasions, without becoming an endless aisle of everything. Categories were added with intent. Price gaps were addressed with care.

Best Buy centered its strategy on product availability. The goal was simple. Let customers find more of what they already expect from the brand, in one place.

The common thread? Marketplace was built into the enterprise plan, not bolted on after.

How Retail Marketplaces Expand Assortment Without Store Bloat

Physical stores have limits. Square footage is one of them.

Target moved bulky furniture and large items online through its marketplace. That decision freed stores to focus on discovery-driven categories like décor. The result was a cleaner floor and a better experience.

Best Buy used marketplace to fill product gaps customers already assumed existed. Accessories. Refurbished items. Seasonal goods. Even sports-themed electronics tied to major events.

This approach keeps stores focused while the digital shelf does the heavy lifting.

Retail Marketplaces Strategy and Customer Trust

Trust is the real currency of a retail marketplace.

Customers are far more likely to try third-party products when the retailer acts as curator. That means clear standards. Tight seller controls. Consistent service expectations.

Nordstrom was deliberate about this balance. Marketplace became a low-risk way to test new brands and categories without changing what shoppers expect from the name on the door.

When marketplaces feel native to the brand, customers stay confident. When they feel disconnected, trust erodes fast.

Using Marketplaces to Test, Learn, and Adapt

Marketplaces also create room to experiment.

Nordstrom described marketplace as a space to move faster. New categories. New price points. New brands. All without long-term commitments.

Best Buy saw rapid SKU growth soon after launch. More sellers. More choice. More relevance for different shopping moments.

This flexibility matters. Retail demand shifts quickly. Marketplaces give teams signals earlier and reduce risk when testing ideas.

Why Execution Still Matters

None of this works without execution.

Marketplace expansion increases complexity. More sellers. More products. More customer expectations. That puts pressure on merchandising, operations, and store teams.

Retailers that win with marketplaces connect digital growth with field visibility. They ensure the online promise matches what shoppers see, hear, and experience across channels.

That alignment is where enterprise strategy either holds together or falls apart.

The Takeaway for Retail Leaders

Marketplaces are no longer optional. But success depends on how they are positioned.

The strongest retail marketplaces strategy is not about becoming bigger. It is about becoming more useful.

Curation beats volume. Enterprise alignment beats siloed teams. Customer trust beats short-term SKU growth.

Best Buy, Target, and Nordstrom are showing what happens when marketplaces serve the brand, not the other way around.