eConcessions: The What, Why & How

What are eConcessions?

eConcessions are the online evolution of concessions, a business model in which brands sell through a retailer while retaining more control over pricing, marketing, product catalog, designing a section of the brick-and-mortar store, and hiring associates. Brands favor this model as they have more control than traditional wholesale.

How has this been adopted for eCommerce? Beyond weighing in on the eCommerce storefront, photography, and copy, brands are responsible for fulfilling and shipping online orders. With both concessions and eConcessions, brands keep most of each sale while paying a small commission to the retailer.

Brands also favor the amount of control they have over their product listings. Much of that control is sacrificed in traditional marketplace models, and the marketplace platform has the final say on how items are listed. However, as retailers open their own marketplaces, this shifts the definitions and how we should view the term “marketplace.”

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a brick-and-mortar retailer (and their affiliated eCommerce site) had much of the power to dictate quantity, pricing, and visual display of a brand’s inventory. The concessions model was catching on in the luxury space, especially in Europe and Asia. Today, with the effects of COVID-19, brands traditionally have greater control of business relationships because retailers are seeking innovative ways to drive an increase in foot traffic. With an emphasis on innovative partnerships, concessions, and therefore, eConcessions are gaining traction outside the luxury vertical. Through expanded partnerships supported by a commissions-based model, retailers are becoming their own marketplace and effectively competing with traditional marketplace platforms like Amazon and eBay. In this sense, the lines between marketplaces and eConcessions are becoming blurred.

Benefits for Brands

• Exposure/awareness
• New sales avenue
• More control of D2C business

Benefits for Retailers

• No inventory risks
• Expanded assortment + increased revenue
• Attract new audience
• Faster launch

Implementing eConcessions

Earlier in 2021, Nordstrom stated: “It plans to grow its partner and shared revenue streams from 5% of the business to 30%, and concessions will be the primary method of doing so.” So, how can brands take advantage of the growth retailers are seeking? It is worth noting that concessions are very similar to a drop-ship model: a retailer displays a brand partner’s selected inventory, and the brand partner then fulfills and ships orders directly to the customer. However, while an eConcessions model is very clear that the brand holds control over merchandising, drop shipping relationships can vary across each retailer and brand agreement.

Logicbroker offers brands and retailers the opportunity to participate in both models. Key considerations for drop shipping and eConcessions are as follows:

​	Drop Ship​	eConcession Marketplace​
Vendor / Seller Agreements​	Agreement Management is optional through Logicbroker​	Agreement Management, including Terms and conditions required through the Logicbroker portal​
Product Feeds​	Retailer to use Logicbroker’s API or SFTP to access the brand’s CSV-formatted, compliant product feed​	Retailer to use Logicbroker’s API to directly populate PIM or Website Presentation Layer​
Workflow, Visibility, Reporting​	Dedicated path (pipe) to monitor drop-ship vendor activity, separate reporting, invoice flow and reconciliation​	Dedicated path (pipe) to monitor and keep separate eConcession marketplace seller activity and reporting​
Packing Slip​	Brands or vendors ship merchandise with the retailer-branded packing slip​	Brands or sellers ship merchandise with their own packing slips – no validation is performed or required​
Vendor Communication Options​	Logicbroker Portal, API, AS2, SFTP/FTP, VAN​	Logicbroker Portal, API​
Vendor / Seller Onboarding Process​	Testing is required to ensure the retailer’s brand requirements are validated and compliant with vendor​	No brand/seller testing performed​*

Logicbroker has built a strong network of eCommerce retailers and brands across multiple verticals, including luxury, baby care, health and wellness, wine and spirits, apparel, and grocery, to name a few. Interested in learning more? Contact us today.

About Logicbroker

Logicbroker is the premier Supply Chain Experience Management (SCXM) eCommerce platform. Our unique B2B and D2C offerings give manufacturers and retailers a single source of truth for their supply chain, yielding real-time visibility and communications, higher compliance rates, lower transaction costs, and exceptional customer experiences. Through drop-ship, marketplace, and supply chain visibility solutions, Logicbroker can help your organization achieve Supply Chain Excellence. 

Our integrated suite connects all participants of an organization’s supply chain regardless of the type of business model: owned inventory, drop-ship, or marketplace. We work with mid-market and Enterprise manufacturers and retailers across a number of verticals, including Health & Wellness, Home Improvement, Consumer Electronics, Toys & Babies, and Consumer Packaged Goods and service brands such as Samsung, The Vitamin Shoppe, Walgreens, Coca-Cola, and RiteAid.