The truth about multichannel ecommerce in 2025
- Written by Matt Warren
It’s getting more complex every year – but the sellers who manage it well will be the ones who grow.
In 2025, the biggest ecommerce shift isn’t just about growth—it’s about fragmentation. 5 years ago, multichannel meant selling on 2-3 channels. Now, we’ve seen sellers managing 8 or more. That’s a huge opportunity, but also a serious operational challenge. New players such as TikTok Shop and Shein have emerged as major forces in record time. Veeqo’s research shows that 29% of high-volume sellers are now active on TikTok Shop, compared to just 19% of medium-volume sellers. This indicates a clear trend: New marketplaces are becoming essential channels for growth, and these new channels are changing expectations for logistics speed and price competition.
Why multichannel complexity catches sellers off guard
The obvious challenges are clear: Managing inventory, learning channel rules, and juggling customer service across channels. But each new marketplace adds its own layer of work you can’t completely automate. For each new channel, a seller has to:
Get approved
Learn their systems
Adapt listings and images
Handle unique customer service requirements
Manage orders, returns, and fulfilment
Yet while top performers are investing in sophisticated systems to manage their operations, more than a quarter of sellers (27%) are still relying on spreadsheets, and a surprising number aren't actively managing their inventory at all. This creates a widening divide between those who can compete effectively and those who risk being left behind. What's really happening here is a fundamental shift in what it means to be a successful online seller. It's no longer enough to have great products and competitive prices. The ability to manage complexity has become as important as the products themselves.
How large sellers plan differently
Here's something interesting: While only a third of all sellers we talked to said demand forecasting is a “Must Have”, that number jumps to 54% among large sellers. Think about that for a second - sellers handling over 3,000 orders monthly are 59% more likely to prioritize forecasting than the average seller. Why? Because at scale, gut feelings don't cut it anymore. Our data shows larger sellers approaching planning with a completely different mindset:
Stock management: Large sellers are 30% more likely to prioritize low-stock alerts, because stockouts at scale aren't just costly - they cascade across channels.
Product complexity: They're 41% more likely to need sophisticated bundle management, because higher volume means more opportunities for mix-and-match offerings.
System integration: 20% more likely to demand connected systems, because manual updates across platforms become unsustainable at volume.
Automation: 33% more likely to require scanner-based operations, because human error multiplies with order volume.
But here's the real takeaway: These aren't just random tech preferences. They're survival tools for sellers operating at scale. When you're moving thousands of units across multiple channels, you need systems with real-time visibility on:
Which products are actually making money (not just selling).
When stock is running low before it hits zero.
How different marketplaces perform against each other.
Where your inventory needs to be tomorrow, not just today.
The sellers moving the most volume aren't just collecting data - they're using it to make faster, smarter decisions. You can’t wait a week to find out if a product or channel is profitable. If you wait a week for profitability data, you’ll make delayed decisions that could screw you down the line.
The bottom line
The complexity of multichannel selling isn’t going anywhere – in fact, it’s going to grow. Here’s what sellers can do now to use that complexity to their advantage.
Audit your tech stack
If you're still using spreadsheets, prioritise moving to a proper inventory management system.
If you have basic systems, evaluate whether they can scale with your growth.
Focus on integration capabilities - manual updates between systems won't cut it anymore.
Rethink your processes
Document your channel-specific requirements now, before adding new marketplaces.
Build standardised procedures for listing, fulfilment, and customer service.
Create clear metrics for channel performance and profitability.
Plan for scale
Start with automation where errors hurt most - inventory sync and order processing.
Invest in scanner-based systems before manual errors become costly.
Build forecasting capabilities - don't wait until stockouts force your hand.
Set priority metrics
Track channel-specific profitability in real-time.
Monitor stock levels across all marketplaces.
Measure fulfilment accuracy and speed.
Watch for emerging marketplace opportunities.
Remember: The gap between successful sellers and the rest isn't just about size - it's about operational sophistication. In 2026, your ability to manage complexity efficiently will be as important as your product selection and pricing. The time to build those capabilities is now.
Disclaimer: The insights and statistics referenced in this analysis are derived from Veeqo's 2025 Warehouse Management System (WMS) Survey, which collected responses from 251 US-based ecommerce sellers between 15-30 September 2025. The survey included 78 marketplace-fulfilled network (MFN) sellers and 173 active Veeqo users, representing a diverse mix of business sizes from sellers processing fewer than 200 orders monthly to those fulfilling over 30,000 orders per month.
Survey respondents were categorized by order volume (Large: 3,000+ monthly orders, Medium: 501-3,000 monthly orders, and smaller volume sellers) and SKU count to identify trends across different business scales. While this survey provides valuable insights into current ecommerce trends and seller behaviors, results reflect the experiences and perspectives of the specific seller population surveyed and may not represent the broader ecommerce market as a whole.
