Multi-Sided Marketplaces and the Transformation of Retail: A Service Systems Perspective

Retail is undergoing a series of major transformations as platform-based multi-sided marketplaces, like Amazon, Alibaba, eBay, JD.com and Rakuten, are challenging incumbent retailers. From the thriving brick and mortar stores and the development of shopping centers, malls and retail chains throughout the 1900's, retail has become increasingly digital as multi-sided marketplaces are uniting the online and offline to create more sophisticated and personalized customer experiences. We assimilate these ongoing changes with a service systems perspective into a conceptual framework of how multi-sided marketplaces are integrating their front and back stage processes to create more personalized, convenient, and speedy shopping experiences