Hungarian Quality Journal

The Impact of the Online Marketplace Model on the Development of E-Commerce – Market Entry Opportunities and Structural Dependence among SMEs

Metadata

Author(s): Gerván Roland, Malatyinszki Szilárd

DOI: https://doi.org/10.65513/MaMi.2026.2.17

Publisher: Nemzetközi Oktatási és Kutatási Központ Alapítvány

Volume: 2026. február

Volume number: 35

Issue number: 2

Journal: Hungarian Quality Journal

ISSN (Print): ISSN 1416‑9576

ISSN (Online): ISSN 1789-5510

Pages: 17–29

Keywords: e-commerce, online marketplace, platform economy, KKV, market entry, platform dependency

Abstract

This study examines the impact of the online marketplace model on the development of e-commerce, with particular attention to the market entry opportunities and structural dependencies of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The aim of the research is to explore how online marketplaces contribute to the expansion of digital commerce while simultaneously creating new forms of exposure and dependency for platform-based sellers. The study applies a secondary research strategy based on qualitative content analysis and comparative analysis of the literature on e-commerce, platform economy, and SME digitalization, complemented by international and Hungarian market research findings. The analysis includes a comparison of American, Chinese, and European marketplace models, as well as an interpretation of the specific characteristics of the Hungarian market. The results indicate that the marketplace model significantly reduces market entry barriers, improves access to international customer bases, and provides an operational infrastructure for SMEs. At the same time, reliance on platforms increases structural dependency, limits control over direct customer relationships, and generates new financial, data-related, and competitiveness risks. The main conclusion of the study is that the marketplace model can be understood both as an enabler of SME digital growth and as an institutional environment that constrains their strategic autonomy.

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