In order to purchase goods via the virtual marketplace, first of all the buyers of METRO Group define their needs. In the next step, buyers set up the bid invitation on the online negotiation platform including all basic information, such as starting time and duration of the auction. Auctions can however be preceded by an information and/or price inquiry. By requesting information buyers can find out whether the supplier delivers to certain countries. Suppliers use the price inquiry to make their first offer, without being able to see how this compares to the competition. Price inquiries support buyers in making sure that all bidders have understood the content and procedure of the bid invitation and are bidding under the same premise.

METRO Group invites at least two potential suppliers to the auction. These suppliers have to be registered on the online negotiation platform. During the preview, these suppliers, and only these suppliers, are able to log-in to the bid prior to the beginning of the auction, using a valid user name and password. They can take a look at the relevant information, such as the quantity specified, the delivery date for samples and the contract period. However, they can only place an offer once the auction has officially begun. Individual suppliers do not see who the other bidders are. Only the auctioneer, in this case the retailer, has access to this information.

Suppliers can not see the prices of other bidders in blind-auctions. However, when creating the bid proposal, the buyer can determine whether the status of a bid should be shown as "better/not better"or "rank X". In this case, bidders can see if their price has been undercut and can revise their calculations without knowing the exact difference between their bid and that of the best bidder. At the end of the auction, METRO Group reveals the price that received the bid acceptance to all bidders involved in the auction. METRO Group also posts open auctions. In open auctions, bidders can see the prices of the other bidders, but not their names. The type of auction depends on the market situation and is determined by the buyer. In general, higher transparency by revealing bidding prices tends to have a positive influence on the dynamics of the auction. Setting increments, i.e. an amount that a supplier must reduce his or her price in order to place the next lowest bid, can also help to speed up the course of an auction.

The buyer sets a timeframe, in which suppliers can submit their bids to the online negotiation platform. The timeframe depends on the item at hand and the scope of the auction as well as the experience of the suppliers. The duration typically ranges from 30 to 60 minutes. However, as opposed to other online auctions such as eBay, the standard duration of the auction is automatically extended once a new top offer has been submitted. The buyer will inform the suppliers about which bid was finally accepted - latest on the date of expiry. According to the principle of the reverse auction, the supplier with the lowest price normally receives the bid acceptance at the end of the auction. The rules for suppliers are strictly defined for every auction. If the supplier does not abide by the bidding rules set by the buyer, he or she will not be able to place a bid and will then receive an error message when attempting to place a bid.