The Marketplace Pulse
Seller Index 2026
A survey-driven analysis of how marketplace sellers are navigating growth, profitability, and platform power in 2026
A comprehensive seller sentiment and performance study combining financial trajectory data with strategic decision-making across 181 marketplace businesses representing over $2 billion in annual revenue. Four cohort classifications reveal which sellers thrived, and which ones barely survived.
In this unique report, you'll find:
- Proprietary cohort framework classifying sellers by the intersection of revenue trajectory and margin direction revealing that 38% of sellers are distressed while only 23% are genuinely thriving.
- Platform allocation data tracking how sellers distributed their revenue across Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Shopify, TikTok Shop, and emerging marketplaces – including which cohorts are doubling down and which are divesting.
- AI adoption patterns exposing the gap between experimentation and implementation, with cohort-level analysis showing who's actually deploying automation versus who's still evaluating.
- Advertising spend efficiency comparing how thriving versus distressed sellers approach marketplace advertising budgets, revealing systematic differences in ROAS expectations and spend allocation.
- Strategic priority rankings showing what successful sellers focus on versus what struggling sellers prioritize — and why the delta matters for forward planning.
- Platform power dynamics quantifying how fee increases, policy changes, and competitive pressure differently impact sellers based on their financial position.
- Forward-looking outlook data capturing seller confidence, growth expectations, and strategic shifts heading into the new year — segmented by cohort to separate optimism from reality.
- And much more... opt in to receive the comprehensive report in your inbox now.
