Which is the Best Online Marketplace for Reselling in the UK? 

The UK reselling industry has been on an upward trend over the past few years. We can credit the Coronavirus pandemic period as the catalyst for this growth. The lockdown forced people to look for alternative ways to earn money as companies laid off workers. 

However, more than the job loss, online marketplaces have had the best impact on the UK’s reselling industry’s development. This effect shouldn’t come as a surprise as eCommerce is currently one of the hottest trends globally. In 2020 alone, the online retail market in the UK increased by 36%.

The number above proves there’s a market for reselling top-quality products in the UK. It’s only a question of leveraging the reselling market efficiently by choosing the best online marketplace. 

Here, we’ll discuss a few of the online marketplace you can use for your reselling business in the UK and how to maximize your profit. Let’s help you make money with ease. 

Things to Consider When Picking Marketplaces to Resell in the UK

Before you begin to resell items online, you first want to get familiar with how reselling works in the UK. Then after that, you can start looking at the suitable platforms for you. 

Online marketplaces are some of the best places for reselling items. Below are some factors to consider while picking an online marketplace for your business.

Popularity and Reach

The first and arguably the most essential factor you want to consider when picking a marketplace is its reach. In other words, you want to pay prejudicial attention to the number of people a marketplace helps you reach with your commodities.

Don’t make the mistake of choosing a marketplace with a small audience or without an effective marketing strategy. The higher the marketing reach a platform affords you, the better your chances as a reseller on it. 

When speaking of reach, you should primarily consider geographic and digital parameters. For example, how many locations within the UK can the marketplace offer its services? Can they cater to customers outside the UK? What’s their strategy for reaching new customers online? Do they have active marketing campaigns? Do they support affiliate marketing? How is their web presence? 

These are factors you should note in your considerations for a marketplace in the UK. Nonetheless, you may want to target only customers close to your location due to shipping expenses. In that case, you need to pay more attention to marketplaces that operate predominantly within your preferred region.

Customer Base

A tell-tale sign of top ecommerce sites is the number of users or people interacting with them. The best online marketplaces can boast millions of UK users, which is good for your reselling business. So, aside from their geographical and digital reach, the ideal reselling marketplace should already have a strong pool of loyal users. 

In addition, a large market following is proportional to popularity. The larger the customer following, the more famous they are and the higher your chances of making profits. Keep in mind these customers are not only valuable as people who buy from you, but they can also refer you to others.

Then again, you want to ensure your marketplace’s customer base comprises people needing what you sell. There’s no point in a large customer base that doesn’t have interest in what you offer to them. 

Nonetheless, you can ignore a small follower base if the platform’s marketing strategies convince you they have something positive going. Examine their mode of operation, and ensure it’ll work for your business and strategies.

Specialisation

Many online marketplaces aren’t specialised. So they often feature several categories containing as many product types as possible. Such marketplaces aren’t bad, but they’re not the best for you if you’re reselling niche products.

So, instead of going for general-purpose online marketplaces, sign-up with ones that specialise in the type of goods you offer. For example, if you want to resell tech gadgets, find a marketplace where users only buy and sell tech gadgets. This way, it becomes easier for potential buyers to see you.

Most people looking to buy things online will go to specialised marketplaces (if they know them) before general-purpose marketplaces. 

The type of audience you want will come directly to find you where you are. In that case, a specialised online marketplace may be the best option for your reselling business. 

Pricing

The next point you want to consider in picking where to resell online in the UK is the fees for using the platform. You probably won’t get to use the marketplace free of charge. The marketplace will earn commissions from every sale you make in most cases. So, you want to identify the percentages charged by each marketplace and determine if it’s acceptable to you. 

Keep in mind that expensive doesn’t equal quality. Generally, marketplaces vary in quality depending on their business models and strategies for helping users market their commodities.

It’s important to learn the makeup of each marketplace’s fees before making a decision. Learn the factors that constitute what you’re paying for the service.

Keep the online marketplace’s fee structure in mind when deciding which ones to resell on. You should also consider how quickly they list your products as well as processing and promotion commissions. All these costs will affect your bottom line. So you want to make sure you’re getting cost-effective solutions from the marketplace.

Top-notch User Experience

Users often place a premium on their convenience. So, if users experience any difficulties or inconvenience while browsing through a website, they’ll look for better alternatives. 

As such, you don’t want the inefficiency of a mediator causing you to lose customers or sales. You should always consider the marketplace’s customer friendliness. 

Then again, one of the defining traits of the best online marketing places for reselling is their top-notch customer service. The ideal online marketplace provides a flawless experience for its users, including vendors and buyers. 

The marketplace should provide seamless vendor and user onboarding. The order management system should also be top-notch, and customers should be able to use multiple payment options.

Comprehensive Product Management

One essential feature all top online marketplaces in the UK should have is a product management system. Such systems comprise components that help vendors set up and structure their shops appropriately. The features also allow buyers to locate the commodities they want quickly.

Some typical features of product management systems are navigation tools, search pane, sections, and product categories. A comprehensive product management system will also allow customers to compare products and commodities from different vendors. 

Another thing to consider is product pages. The marketplace should allow you to quickly create new product catalogues without hassles. In addition, it should allow you add every necessary element that’ll help you market your products visible to buyers. For example, it should let you include the following on product pages:

• A detailed description
• Images
• Product specifications
• Delivery information
• Location
• Availability

Security and Technical Support 

Platform security and privacy are crucial criteria you must consider before signing up with a marketplace. It’s even more critical if you already have a large following and you’re trying to expand. Primarily, this aspect deals with the technical side of a platform’s setup. 

The marketplace you intend to use must have a solid and strict privacy policy. In addition, the platform must have reasonable protection measures to safeguard customers’ data. Not only that, but the integrity of your online presence should also be secure with them. 

A common feature in SaaS marketplaces is they all use a shared environment. So, any minor change on the platform will affect all buyers and vendors alike. However, PaaS (Platform as a service)  marketplaces all work in separate environments, so a change on the platform doesn’t affect all users alike. As such, they’re the safest.

So when deciding where to resell online in the UK, you want to ascertain the type of service the auction sites are using. You can go for any of the two, but PaaS marketplaces are the safest. 

Best Online Marketplaces for Resellers in the UK

Now that you know the primary things to consider when picking an online marketplace for your business, it’s time to choose. To make things a bit easier for you, we have compiled a list of the six best online marketplaces for reselling in the UK. 

Amazon

Several people know Amazon as an online store that also operates a reselling business online in the UK. However, Amazon also allows small and medium scale resellers to use their platform. 

But considering its size, it’s not surprising that Amazon leads the line among online marketplaces in the UK. The company has a track record in several other countries too, and it’s arguably the most popular online auction platform globally.

Interestingly, Statista also recognises the strong dominance of Amazon in the UK’s eCommerce landscape. Statista’s reports Amazon experiences an average monthly visit of 407 million in the UK. UK’s population is only 67 million; that should help you put things in perspective.

Therefore, Amazon gives you the biggest advantage of reach and popularity. But, that’s not all; they also optimise their systems to provide the best services to both sides of the transaction. So, vendors can easily set up shop, and buyers can easily find what they’re looking for.

eBay

eBay is the second largest and most popular online marketplace in the UK after Amazon. The company began operations in 1995, and it has consistently delivered excellent results over the years. So, it has a solid track record which cements its position as one of the best online marketplaces for reselling in the UK.

While Amazon may be the biggest, eBay still holds a few advantages over it. First, Amazon is a competitive market for individual sellers who offer new products. However, eBay has niches for people looking to resell new and used items.

Also, Amazon has stricter categories, and you can only list your products in the ones they provide. However, eBay offers more flexibility as they allow you to list your products without necessarily including them under any specific category.

Of course, eBay also has strict regulations that buyers must abide by to do business in the marketplace. For example, eBay mandates all vendors to register as a business on their platform. In addition, you must provide sufficient contact information and have a detailed refund policy to function as a reseller in the marketplace. 

Etsy

Etsy currently records an average of 48 million visits every month which makes it the third most visited marketplace in the UK on our list. Etsy operates on a global scale, so they give you access to both the local and international markets. But not only that, but Etsy is also the most popular specialised marketplace.

Etsy’s numbers aren’t as impressive as the first two, but they’re still amazing. That’s because Etsy specialises in niche products such as Craft items, Gifts, Arts and Vintage commodities. So, their primary traffic is from the people looking to buy and sell these things.

Amazon and eBay, on the other hand, have hundreds of categories that service a broad market base. Nonetheless, specialisation makes Etsy a more collaborative community, which is advantageous for vendors and buyers. Not only that, but the marketplace also offers a transparent fee structure with listing charges of £0.14 per item. And that’s why it’s one of the best online marketplaces for reselling in the UK. 

Wayfair

Wayfair is another top specialised online marketplace suitable for resellers in the UK. To put it plainly, Wayfair is the best online marketplace for reselling furniture and home goods in the UK. 

The platform gets an average monthly traffic of around 20.3 million shoppers. Those numbers are impressive considering that the marketplace focuses on a specific product niche. Also, note that most of their customers are one time visitors who don’t come back for a while once they get what they want. 

So, it’s pretty impressive that Wayfair can record such huge numbers. And it also means it’s the best place for you to resell your homeware in the UK.

Gumtree

Gumtree is a subsidiary of eBay. However, it’s still among the best online marketplaces for small scale resellers in the UK. So you can list anything from furniture to cars or even second-hand goods on the platform. 

Interestingly, Gumtree will let you list your items for free on the platform. However, you’ll have to pay for adverts if you intend to do promotions on the website.  

You can also jump to the top of listings in your category using the boost feature available on the marketplace. But, of course, you’ll have to pay for that advantage too. 

Nonetheless, you’re under no obligation to do adverts or use the boost feature on the website. This feature means you can use the marketplace for free without promotions or adverts. However, your sales may not do as well as those of your counterparts using the features.

Preloved

Preloved may be the least popular marketplace on this list. But it beat a lot of competition to take the final spot in this consideration. In addition, the platform caters primarily to the local population in the UK. So, it’s perfect if you’re looking for a marketplace explicitly focused on the local UK market.

Preloved operates a more generalised marketplace that caters to a more extensive range of users. The platform has over 500 categories, including several diverse niches from health and recreation to clothing and even tech items. So, you can list any product on the platform and advertise as you want. 

The marketplace also receives constant traffic and patronage from over 7 million returning buyers. Plus, it allows you to determine your business’s optimal payment and delivery system. Not to mention, Preloved is the best option if you’re looking for a more classified advertising site.

Strategies for Reselling on Online Marketplaces

One of the seemingly best ideas you’ll get for operating a reselling business on an online marketplace is to go all in. At first, it sounds like a no-brainer, but actually, reselling on marketplaces shouldn’t be an all-or-nothing affair. 

Below are some ideas to help you get the best out of your online reselling efforts without committing anymore than necessary.

Optimise Product Content

There are product listings that shoppers see, and there are ones that attract buyers. It sounds like the same thing, but they’re not. Potential buyers may come across your product listing, but what they see may not convince them to buy. 

Why’s that? Your product content isn’t interesting enough. Your product copy, titles, descriptions, and call-to-actions aren’t doing a great job compelling the buyers to patronise you. If shoppers feel like “ugh meh” every time they come across your listing, your business won’t do well. 

So, an excellent way to make sure the marketplace listing works in your favour is to do better with your content strategy. Then again, optimising your product content can help you rank better on marketplace search results.  

Find the right keywords, compose intriguing product descriptions and optimise your images. You can also invest in marketplace optimisation services like Feedonomics to aid your efforts. Finally, stop putting up mediocre content on your product page.

Take Advantage of Ads

If you go through vendor pages on marketplaces, you’ll find ads littering the spaces. You won’t come across the kind of annoying pop-ups or banners that nobody clicks. Instead, you’ll see ads that shoppers interact with due to their relevance to the buyer’s needs. 

An excellent way to increase your opportunities in marketplaces is by using ads to your advantage. Invest in digital marketing directed at shoppers searching for things you offer. Such efforts will help put your products front and centre where potential customers can find them easily.

Automate Your Pricing

You’d think every shopper has their pricing mechanisms and other similar systems figured out. But, interestingly, it’s not always so. Most online resellers set up all necessary pricing features on their websites or online stores. However, connecting a store to a marketplace doesn’t mean the marketplace will reflect those exact prices.

While this may seem like something customers will be willing to overlook, remember buyers have multiple options. Any slight tick may cause them to look for another vendor. 

Therefore, you should structure your online store so the accurate price of your products will come up when customers check them. You can also take it one step further by adjusting your product fees in response to your competitors’ pricing. 

Diversify Your Shipping Options

Online shoppers don’t just want free and fast delivery of their purchases; they expect it. So quick satisfactory delivery is no longer a perk you offer on goods; it’s necessary for customer satisfaction. 

However, you need a cost-effective way to cater to these necessities if you don’t want to run into losses. Without a good strategy, fulfilment costs will eat into your profit and leave you with peanuts. 

You can diversify your shipping strategy by leveraging programs like Amazon FBA. Or you can use third-party logistics organisations such as ShipBob or Ship station. 

Keep in Touch With Your Customers.

Many sellers underestimate the effect keeping in touch with their clients can have on their customer retention rate. Always strive to reach out to the people who buy from you. While most customers may not want promotional offers, you can curate content to show you appreciate them and their continued patronage.

Furthermore, you shouldn’t neglect to inform your customers of new developments with your offerings. Spread the word, forward emails, push on social media and sprinkle effective CTAs around your messages. It’s essential to let your buyers know what they can now get from their favourite online marketplace. 

In the End

Being an online reseller in the UK is relatively straightforward if you know which marketplace to resell on. Then again, it’s a bit tricky to decide which online marketplace is the best for reselling business. That’s why we provided the list above to help out. Of course, feel free to use any of the platforms we recommended.

Here at Crep Chief Notify, we offer a subscription-based community that’ll help you learn everything about managing a successful reselling business in the UK. Sign up now or call us to learn more.