In business terminology, what does B2C describe when a company sells directly to individual consumers?

In business terminology, B2C describes business-to-consumer commerce, in which a company sells directly to individual consumers.

The abbreviation contrasts with B2B, or business-to-business, where the customer is another organization. B2C transactions include a person buying clothing from a retailer, subscribing to a streaming service, ordering food through an app, or purchasing software online.

The term became especially prominent with the growth of the internet in the 1990s, when online retailers began selling directly to households. However, the underlying model is much older: department stores, mail-order catalogs, and supermarkets were all B2C businesses.

B2C is sometimes confused with consumer-to-consumer commerce, abbreviated C2C. In C2C transactions, individuals sell to other individuals, often through a marketplace. A B2C company may use stores, websites, mobile apps, or social-commerce channels, but the defining feature is the relationship between the seller and the final consumer.