In a nutshell:

Octopia is a subsidiary of Cdiscount, founded in 2021, and offers a fully integrated suite of marketplace services. The company combines technology, seller activation, fulfillment, retail media, and product offerings in a single setup. Its core solutions include Merchant-as-a-Service, Marketplace-as-a-Service, and the Octopia Community for multichannel sales. With over 10,000 sellers, strong international growth, and new services like Octopia Ads and Octopia Logistics, Octopia has solidified its position as a marketplace infrastructure provider.
Time to Read: appr. 3 min

With our Service Provider Portraits, we introduce partners whose solutions make a tangible difference in the marketplace business. Today’s focus: Octopia – by its own account the first complete suite of marketplace services built by a marketplace operator.

Who is: Octopia?

Octopia was founded in 2021 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cdiscount (part of Cnova and the Casino Group). Headquartered in Bordeaux, the company employs over 450 people and expects to achieve a GMV of over 2 billion euros by 2025. A key feature of Octopia is its roots in retail, having emerged directly from Cdiscount’s marketplace operations. This influences its approach: solutions are developed from an operator’s perspective, by merchants, for merchants.

What does Octopia offer?

Octopia provides a comprehensive solution package for the marketplace ecosystem, covering technology, seller activation, fulfillment, retail media, and product assortment expansion. The offerings can be divided into two main areas: services for marketplace operators and services for sellers.

• Merchant as a Service: An end-to-end solution for marketplaces looking to quickly and efficiently activate sellers, with access to a community of 10,000+ top international sellers, sourcing, onboarding, and account management all in one. 
• Marketplace as a Service: An all-in-one SaaS solution for brands or e-commerce companies to launch your own marketplace, including native plugins for Salesforce and Adobe, and fully integrated back office, seller services, catalog, payment, and CRM.
• Octopia Community: A multichannel hub for sellers with a single technical connection, offering one-click onboarding, centralized management of catalogs, prices, orders, and performance, and access to multiple marketplaces via API.
• Fulfillment as a Service: Logistics solutions for marketplaces and sellers based on C-Logistics infrastructure, offering end-to-end inventory and shipping processes with no minimum fees, no binding contracts, and the use of technologies like Exotec Skypod.
• Octopia Ads: A retail media and sponsored products solution for marketplaces and big e-retailers, with a self-service model and a 1P/3P balancing algorithm.
• Product as a Service: Assortment expansion for seller and dropshipper without managing inventory, offering direct access to over 25,000 SKUs from the Cdiscount 1P catalog, with ready-to-ship products for rapid assortment growth.

Mission

Octopia’s goal is to activate sellers and reduce operational complexity for marketplaces. Its work is based on three pillars:

1. Building and activating a strong seller community
2. Seamless access to qualified merchants
3. Optimizing the seller journey to accelerate growth on both sides

Development Milestones

• 2021 – Foundation and platform launch: Octopia was founded based on Cdiscount’s years of marketplace experience, launched with Marketplace-as-a-Service, and started building international dropshipping and PaaS partnerships.
• 2023 – Expansion of Merchant-as-a-Service & Internationalization: Octopia expanded Merchant-as-a-Service, grew from five to over 40 customers, and scaled its fulfillment network to 3,500 sellers, with a stronger international market presence.
• 2024–2025 – Retail Media & Logistics: With the launch of Octopia Ads and Octopia Logistics, the company focused on retail media and fulfillment. At the same time, over 70% of the supported GMV is now generated internationally.

Unique Selling Points of Octopia

Octopia’s key differentiators can be summarized in five main areas:

1. Integrated Marketplace Ecosystem (Tech + Seller + Operations)
   • Faster activation (Time-to-market halved)
   • Taking over complex seller management processes
   • Dedicated Customer Success Management to boost GMV
2. Merchant as a Service
   • Curated selection of the right sellers
   • Turnkey onboarding
   • Account management and performance optimization
3. Centralized Multichannel Sales via the Octopia Community
   • A single interface for catalog, prices, orders, and stock
   • One onboarding for multiple channels
   • Simplified internationalization and reduced technical effort
4. Fulfillment Expertise
   • Competitive pricing
   • All delivery modes available
   • No set-up or minimum fees
5. Retail Media
   • Self-service to maximize seller adoption
   • 1P/3P algorithm to protect margins

Outlook for the Next 12 Months

Over the next year, Octopia will focus on five strategic areas to drive further growth and development:

• Growth in Merchant-as-a-Service: Expanding the seller base, adding new categories and marketplaces, and doubling the seller GMV.
• Improving the Seller Experience: Enhancing onboarding, increasing commercial support, and adding more community content.
• International Expansion: Strengthening presence in Germany, Eastern Europe, the Nordics, the UK, and Spain, and expanding fulfillment and cross-border logistics capabilities.
• Technology and Platform Development: Improving UI/UX, APIs, catalog processes, and further developing Magic Catalogue and Cash-out with AI-based features.
• Sustainability & Logistics Innovation: Focusing on CO₂-optimized shipping and packaging solutions, more efficient returns processes, and expanding local fulfillment options.

Who works with Octopia?

Octopia’s client list includes companies such as CDON, Maxeda, Worten, Fruugo, and BébéBoutik.

Key Facts: Why Octopia is relevant for Marketplace Professionals

Octopia combines three critical attributes that are increasingly decisive in the European marketplace business:

1. Roots in retail: Solutions developed from real Cdiscount operations, not just technology-based.
2. Merchant as a Service: A scalable, operational seller machine as a service.
3. Marketplace as a Service: A fully integrated SaaS setup for retailers looking to launch their own marketplace.
   In a time when speed, assortment depth, and operational excellence determine marketplace success, Octopia positions itself as a comprehensive partner for both technology and operational growth.

For more information, visit Octopia.com!

Der Beitrag Service Provider Portrait: Octopia erschien zuerst auf Marketplace Universe.