The c2c e commerce market has seen considerable growth due to a variety of factors.
• The customer-to-customer (C2C) online trading sector has seen a tremendous increase in size over the years. The sector's size is expected to expand from $2490.06 billion in 2024 to $3105.98 billion in 2025, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.7%.
Key drivers of this growth in the recent past include enhanced internet connectivity and smartphone usage, growing popularity of e-commerce and digital payments, expansion in the sharing economy and direct user transactions, growth of social media platforms supporting C2C e-commerce, changing consumer tastes towards distinct and diverse products, the ease and approachability of internet-based marketplaces, and the advent of user reviews and other measures that build customer trust.
The c2c e commerce market is expected to maintain its strong growth trajectory in upcoming years.
• Anticipations are high for the Consumer to Consumer (C2C) e-commerce market, as it's projected to experience tremendous growth in the coming years, reaching an estimated value of $7442.78 billion by 2029, growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.4%.
This significant growth in the coming forecast period can be credited to the persisting trend of online shopping, the growth of cross-border C2C transactions, the embrace of mobile payment systems and digital wallets, the surge in demand for artisanal and specialized products, the rise of influencer marketing along with social commerce, an increased emphasis on sustainability and second-hand products, in addition to regulatory help and measures for consumer protection. The forecast period will also witness major trends such as proliferation of social commerce platforms, the use of user-generated content, an increase in the demand for niche marketplaces, advancements in secure payment gateways, collaborations between platforms and providers, more cross-border trading, utilization of artificial intelligence besides integrating sustainability methods.
The surge in the utilization of online payment modes is predicted to stimulate the expansion of the C2C e-commerce market. The term 'online payment methods' pertains to a digital or virtual method that permits individuals and companies to execute and receive payments via the internet. The ubiquity of these payment modes is escalating due to the expanding access to mobile devices, internet availability, the influence of the pandemic, and improved security features. These online payment methods automate several portions of the transaction process, thereby reducing human involvement and making operations more efficient for C2C e-commerce platforms. This approach also allows such platforms to cater to users worldwide. For instance, as reported by Electronic Payments International, a UK-based payments firm, the total number of digital transactions in the UK in 2022 saw an uptick to 45.7 billion, marking an increase of 13% from the 40.4 billion recorded in 2021. Furthermore, the volume of contactless payments went up by 30%, reaching 17 billion. Nearly one third of the adult population is registered with a minimum of one mobile payment service. Hence, the spike in the adoption of online payment modes is fueling the growth of the C2C e-commerce market.
The C2C e-commerce market covered in this report is segmented –
1) By Type: B2C Retailers, Classifieds
2) By Platform: Web-Based, Mobile Application
3) By Application: Automotive, Beauty And Personal Care, Books And Stationery, Consumer Electronics, Clothing And Footwear, Home Décor And Electronics, Sports And Leisure, Travel And Tourism, Media And Entertainment, Information Technology (Software)
Subsegments:
1) By B2C Retailers: Online marketplaces (eBay, Amazon), Niche Online Stores
2) By Classifieds: Online Classified Ad Platforms (Craigslist, OLX), Peer-To-Peer (P2P) Platforms
Leading players in the C2C e-commerce sector are prioritizing strategic partnerships as a means to gain an advantage over competitors. These collaborations can enhance their product offerings, widen their customer base, and elevate the overall customer experience, often by pooling their expertise and resources to develop a stronger, unified e-commerce infrastructure. The Flipkart Commerce Cloud, for example, is a groundbreaking platform aimed at transforming retail and e-commerce operations on a global scale. A case in point is the partnership in February 2022 between valU, a fintech platform hailing from Egypt, and PayTabs Egypt, a domestic payment processing enterprise. They collaborated with Mazadat, an Egypt-based C2C e-commerce platform provider, to augment payment solutions and services for the entertainment sector and e-commerce businesses. The partnership will enable Mazadat's consumers to employ valU's BNPL services for C2C and B2C e-commerce and conduct online payments through PayTabs Egypt's payment portal. This partnership marks valU's initial venture into the C2C e-commerce sphere, a significant step due to the rapid shift in consumer buying trends, the surge in online shopping, and the growing dependence on technology, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Major companies operating in the C2C E-commerce market are:
• Amazon.com Inc.
• JD.com Inc.
• Alibaba Group Holding Limited
• PayPal Holdings Inc.
• Taobao
• eBay Inc.
• Airbnb Inc.
• Flipkart Internet Private Limited
• Shopify Inc.
• ASOS plc
• Etsy Inc.
• OLX Inc.
• Squarespace Inc.
• Craigslist Inc.
• Fiverr International Ltd.
• Make My Trip Pvt. Ltd.
• BigCommerce Holdings Inc.
• Poshmark Inc.
• Depop Ltd.
• Shopee Pte. Ltd.
• Tradesy Inc.
• uBid Holdings Inc.
• Auctions.com LLC
• Quikr India Private Ltd.
• WooCommerce
North America was the largest region in the C2C E-commerce market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the C2C E-commerce market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.