Platform Business
A platform business provides the infrastructure on which others build, sell or transact, earning from the activity it hosts.
Why It Matters
Platforms accumulate power over the businesses that depend on them, which is where most modern competition cases begin.
Related Terms
- MarketplaceA marketplace is a business that connects buyers and sellers and takes a fee on the transactions between them, without owning the inventory itself.
- Network EffectA network effect exists when a product becomes more valuable to each user as more people use it.
- Competition PolicyCompetition policy is the body of law and enforcement that limits monopoly power, reviews mergers and prohibits practices that restrict competition.
- Switching CostA switching cost is what a customer must spend in money, time or disruption to move to a competitor.
VANTAGE52 Coverage
Published reporting filed under the topics behind this concept.
Zara Is Rethinking How It Expands
Inditex is turning to the U.S. for its next phase of growth, using online demand and store performance to make more selective decisions about where and how to expand.
How Etsy Is Building a New Economy Around Independent Sellers
Etsy is moving beyond the traditional marketplace model as AI-powered discovery, personalization and global commerce reshape how independent businesses reach consumers.
Europe Wants Bigger Companies. Is Scale Becoming A New Competitive Advantage?
Brussels is rethinking whether size is a problem to police or a capability to build.
ZOVIA Is Redefining Timeless Femininity In Modern Womenswear
Founded in Istanbul by Ilkim Ozturk, the womenswear label is building a digital-first identity around muslin, lace and Mediterranean ease. Its bet is that a consistent aesthetic outlasts the trend cycle.
Artisans Of New York Brings The Art Of Blown Glass To Collectors Around The World
Founded in 2007 after an encounter with a single Ikebana vase, the New York company has built a curated platform that carries independent glass artists from Bryant Park and Industry City to collectors worldwide.
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