D2C website vs Amazon and Flipkart: where should you sell?
Marketplaces give you volume and take your margin and your customer. Your site gives you both back but demands traffic. The right answer is a sequence, not a side.
The channel question every Indian consumer brand fights about internally: push the D2C site, or ride Amazon and Flipkart? Treating it as either-or costs money in both directions. The winners sequence the channels and give each a distinct job.
What marketplaces are genuinely good at
Trust and logistics you did not have to build. A buyer who will not risk COD on an unknown website will happily order the same product on Amazon. Marketplaces also capture existing category search at scale. The price: 25 to 40 percent of revenue in commissions, fees and ads, price-war pressure, and no customer relationship. You get an order, they keep the customer.
What your own site is for
Margin, data and repeat. Full contribution margin per order. The buyer's contact for WhatsApp and email retention. Bundles, subscriptions and storytelling no marketplace listing allows. And immunity from a platform algorithm change wiping out your rank overnight. The price: you pay for every visitor, so the site only wins with a working acquisition engine and a converting funnel.
The sequence that works
- Stage 1, prove demand: launch D2C-first with Meta ads; own the learning loop and the reviews.
- Stage 2, capture search: list on Amazon and Flipkart once branded search appears; your ads created that demand, collect it everywhere.
- Stage 3, run the flywheel: marketplaces for convenience buyers and gifting, D2C for bundles, subscriptions and repeat, quick commerce for impulse.
- Keep exclusive SKUs and better bundle prices on your site so heavy users have a reason to buy direct.
Marketplaces rent you customers. Your website is where you finally own them.
The metric that settles arguments
Compare channels on contribution margin per order after all fees and ad costs, and on repeat revenue per customer after 90 days. Marketplaces usually win the first order's convenience; the site wins the relationship. Most healthy Indian consumer brands settle around 40 to 60 percent D2C share, but the ratio matters less than making each channel do its actual job.
Frequently asked questions
Should I launch on Amazon or my own website first?
For most brands: website first to control the learning loop, creative testing and reviews, then Amazon and Flipkart within a few months to capture the branded search your ads generate. Launching marketplace-only means building demand you never own.
Why are my Amazon sales high but profits low?
Stack the costs: referral fees, FBA or shipping, marketplace ads and price-matching pressure typically consume 25 to 40 percent of revenue, before returns. Amazon is a volume and trust channel; profit density usually lives on your own site.
Can ads for my website help Amazon sales?
Yes, strongly. A meaningful share of buyers see your Meta ad and buy on Amazon where they feel safer. Track Amazon sales lift alongside site ROAS when judging campaigns, or you will undervalue your own advertising.
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