What are the types of e-commerce?

B2C (business to consumer) is the most familiar — a shop selling directly to the public, like an online clothing store. B2B (business to business) is one company selling to another, such as a wholesaler supplying retailers. C2C (consumer to consumer) is individuals selling to each other through a marketplace like OLX or eBay. D2C (direct to consumer) is a brand skipping retailers to sell straight from its own website.

C2B (consumer to business) is an individual selling to a company — for example a freelancer or influencer offering services through a platform. B2G (business to government) is a company supplying goods or services to a government body, often via a portal like GeM in India. The lines can blur: one store may sell both B2C and B2B, and the underlying e-commerce technology is largely the same across models — what changes is pricing, catalogue, and checkout rules.