What is B2C (Business to Consumer)?
B2C (Business to Consumer) refers to the process of selling products and services directly to the end-user—the individual consumer. When you buy shoes from Nike, stream a movie on Netflix, or order dinner on Deliveroo, you are engaging in a B2C transaction.
The Speed of Sales Unlike the slow, committee-based decisions in B2B, B2C sales are often:
- Impulsive: Driven by desire, need, or brand affinity.
- Fast: The "sales cycle" can be as short as the 30 seconds it takes to click an Instagram ad and check out.
- Lower Value: Individual transaction sizes are smaller, meaning B2C startups rely on volume and virality to scale.
Marketing Focus: Emotion vs. Logic While B2B marketing sells "ROI" and "Efficiency," B2C marketing sells "Status," "Happiness," or "Convenience." Successful B2C founders obsess over:
- Brand Identity: Building a "cool" factor (e.g., Liquid Death, Monzo).
- CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): Because the revenue per user is low, you cannot afford expensive sales teams. You need efficient digital marketing or organic virality.
The UK Context The UK has produced some of the world's leading B2C fintechs, such as Revolut and Monzo. These companies succeeded by taking a boring utility (banking) and applying a sleek, consumer-friendly B2C user experience to it.
Key Takeaway: B2C is a volume game. Success depends on building a brand people love and removing every possible friction point between the customer and the "Buy" button.
