Nautical Commerce

The future of commerce is connected. That’s why we’re here. To help you stay ahead of the curve by embracing a connected commerce system, without sacrificing what makes your business unique. With Nautical’s headless infrastructure, you’ll have access to the marketplace and dropshipping capabilities you need —?sailing smoothly with a multi-vendor experience loved by buyers, sellers, and operators.???

There’s something special about the everyday moments that make up our workdays — from the view out the window on a rainy afternoon to grabbing lunch with teammates and celebrating another year as a company. A huge shoutout to Peter Samsonov for capturing these snapshots of life at Nautical. Here's to the big milestones and the small moments in between. ??

Competition is your compass ?? At the beginning of your marketplace journey, assess the competitive landscape by looking at other marketplaces and more traditional businesses in your space. Where can you disrupt? As a marketplace founder, don’t get deterred by your competition — let it guide you. Grab the free competitive analysis template in the comments!

Why do businesses launch marketplaces? On an episode of Operation Marketplace, Jason Leung, Senior Manager of Technology Planning and Strategy for Best Buy Canada’s Marketplace, shared their reasoning behind launching a marketplace. The ultimate goal is to solidify the company’s position as the consumer electronics leader in Canada. But the marketplace model offers another key advantage: testing new product categories without inventory risk—enabling them to deliver greater assortment, range, and value to customers. Listen to the full conversation with Jason at the link in the comments. ??

Cheers to five years! ?? Yesterday marked Nautical's fifth anniversary—a milestone we celebrated together while reflecting on our journey toward making marketplace creation more accessible for merchants everywhere. None of this would be possible without our exceptional team, whose passion and dedication fuel everything we accomplish. As we sail into year six, we're energized by the possibilities ahead. We can't wait to announce what we've been working on to help more businesses thrive in the marketplace economy. ?? Here's to continuing to make waves! ??

??Seller spotlight: June Child Ceramics Jo-Anne, the Owner of June Child Ceramics, sells her handmade wall hooks and decor on Etsy’s marketplace. In our conversation, Jo-Anne shared valuable insights about the seller experience, including: ?? How she navigated Etsy’s onboarding process ?? Her biggest challenges ?? The feature that would make her experience better For marketplace operators, understanding your sellers' perspective is crucial for success. Read more about Jo-Anne’s experience at the link in the comments.

How do you find marketplace success? Start with a map. ??? We created a template to visualize the key elements of your marketplace vision, including: ???Buyers: Understand who they are and what they need ???Sellers: Identify your supply partners and their motivation ???Market timing: Recognize why now is the right moment ???Problem statement: Clarify the specific challenge you’re solving ???Unique value proposition: Define what makes your marketplace distinctive These foundational elements will sharpen your strategy and maintain your focus— making for smoother navigation on your marketplace journey. Download the template at the link in the comments.

Marketplaces don't sell anything. They're real estate that connects buyers with sellers—a business model that's existed for millennia. From ancient town squares to today's sophisticated online platforms, the core concept remains unchanged. Nautical's Co-founder and CEO, Niklas H., recently shared his insights on marketplaces with Schematic's Co-founder and CEO, Fynn Glover, on the Monetizing SaaS podcast. They explored how Nautical Commerce powers modern marketplaces and discussed effective pricing strategies for both startups and marketplace businesses. Check out their full conversation in the comments!

We're excited to share how our customer Indie Food Marketplace is revolutionizing local food access across Southern Ontario! When entrepreneur Corey Berman saw local farmers struggling to reach urban consumers, he envisioned a marketplace that would bring farm-fresh goods directly to people's doorsteps. The challenge? Building this marketplace quickly and cost-effectively without getting bogged down in technical complexities. Using our marketplace platform, Indie Food was able to: ?? Launch their marketplace in just two months ?? Onboard 48 sellers (and growing quickly!) ?? List over 700 products from local farms ?? Launch a second B2B marketplace within months "By drastically lowering the cost to entry, Nautical makes it easier to get started. We aren't weighed down by hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in development cost and time," says Corey. What we love most about Indie Food's story is how they're creating value for everyone: farmers get easy access to urban markets, consumers get convenient access to local produce, and Indie Food can focus on growing their business rather than wrestling with technology. Read their full story at the link in the comments!

Just 24 hours left to weigh in! Marketplace sellers, we’re looking for your insights before time runs out. ?? Whether it's marketing support, logistics solutions, or easy onboarding, let us know your top priority when deciding whether to list on a new marketplace. Your perspective helps set everyone up for success. Drop your vote below and feel free to elaborate in the comments if your top priority isn't listed. Let's keep the conversation going!