Marketplace as a form of organising digital market space: analysis of economic essence

The development of digitalisation processes in the economy leads to changes at all levels of the economic system. As it develops, digitalisation is causing a digital transformation not only of individual business processes and companies, but also of the economy as a whole. It is a strategic factor in economic development that must be taken into account in economic management. Digitalisation also contributes to institutional changes, transforming the patterns of organisation of market interaction between sellers and buyers. One of the new forms of such interaction is marketplaces, which are specially organised digital trading platforms. The contribution of e-commerce in general and marketplaces in particular to trade turnover grows rapidly and, according to forecasts, will continue to grow in the medium term. The article deals with the economic nature of marketplaces as new institutional entities formed under the influence of the digitalisation of economic processes. The article reveals the dualistic market nature of marketplaces, which, on the one hand, contribute to market monopolisation and, on the other hand, bring the economy closer to a model characterised by perfect market competition. As a result of the analysis, the authors provide recommendations for the strategic development of marketplaces.