Internet users are coming out of one-dimensional usage of obtaining information to producing and interchanging information now. This effect in turn is producing not only individual media and text services but also C2C, direct sales outlets through online market place.

The word ‘Prosumer’ that means ‘consumer is producer’ is not a strange word anymore. Especially with rapid growth of online market place in last 2 to 3 years, it’s now being called prosumer.

Nevertheless, typical C2C online marketplace sites like auction and G-market are not doing their roles. The number of sales transactions are respectable but these numbers are mostly single time used merchandise sales transaction and do not reflect continuous ongoing sales transactions due to limited regular users.

According to rankey.com out of total visitors that made both sales and purchase transactions in given one week are auction, 6%, G-Market, 4% and OnKet 1% respectively.

[Auction, G Market, visitors to Seller & Buyer pages/Source: Rankey.com]

C2C market formed by small to medium size merchants not the Prosumers
Actually, most of the products available from the site are by the ones offered by small to medium size merchants. It’s just an indication of online market place playing the role of providing uploads to the merchants and actual relationship between the seller and buyer is an entirely separate issue.

If we look at it more close, out of all buyers around 20 percent uses Action site and G-market is only half of that, 10 percent and OnKet has low market share of 12 percent. The reason for action site’s 20 percent market share probably due to it being the used merchandise sales outlet that is most costumed to the users.

Except for auction site’s fairly respectable numbers the rest of online marketplace sites have low market shares and the reason for that is as it was mentioned before, much of the products are uploaded by the off-line merchants and not by the individuals that can help form true C2C market.

Especially each e-commerce merchants have strict policies (trustworthiness) and thereby limiting number of the prosumers to participate to lessen the opportunity for others.

Adapting Community Practices has direct relation to promoting C2C market
Even with this reality, the industry still hasn’t given up for the future of domestic C2C market. Why? Because there are plenty of users, who has used the service before and trend toward community based portals offering the C2C service is on the rise.

Rankey.com’s e-biz team leader Jung-Hoon Song said, “it’s a positive news, having 30 percent of users who already have used all the online market services. Also communities that are run by portals are increasing adapting C2C transactions and that can really make the difference for the expansion of future market.”

Growing C2C transactions in Community is a very significant sign. With high compatibility between the product offered and its buyers and unrestrictive sales platform, being offered is a big plus. For an example, a royal Atopi community user can offer an ideal product to other member freely even though the product has no direct tie to the commercial product being offered at the site.

A general internet shopping mall like ‘interpark’ who has revamped the community functionality and rapid growth of mini-homepage based Cy-market are the good indicators. The Cymarket began the service just last month with offering a channel for its members to freely trade product information led to earning many royal customers. The average number of weekly visitors rose to whapping 130,000.

An affiliate from SK Communications said, “domestic C2C market was built around small to mid sized merchants but with better community functionalities being available it will make a huge difference. With the surging advancement of internet technology and services, we anticipate the C2C market to further grow with more variety of service categories.