Aggregator
Also called: Online aggregator · Topic: Markets, Equilibrium and Government Intervention · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 12 "Understanding Markets"
Meaning
An aggregator is a website or app that brings together offers from many different sellers and sells them all in one place. The buyer sees many choices on one screen and orders from there. For goods, the chain runs from the manufacturer to the aggregator's warehouse (a large store-house), and then to the buyer's doorstep. The aggregator often packs and delivers the goods as well. Aggregators matter because they let a buyer and a seller trade even when they are thousands of kilometres apart.
Example
A shopping app lists shirts from hundreds of small sellers. You order one, and the app packs it in its warehouse and delivers it to your home. Food-delivery, travel and ride-hailing apps work the same way. In India, ride-hailing apps are covered by the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2025.
Don't confuse with
- Retailer: a retailer sells its own stock to final buyers in small lots. An aggregator mainly gathers many sellers' offers onto one platform.
- Wholesaler: a wholesaler buys in bulk from producers and supplies shops. It does not sell directly to consumers through a single app.