In the dynamic landscape of e-commerce, merchants are constantly seeking innovative solutions to enhance their marketplace strategies. Launched in March 2022, B&Q Marketplace boasts over 300,000 products from 400 verified sellers, providing an extensive selection of home improvement products ranging from wallpaper and power tools to cookware and tableware, and more.
As one of the UK’s most renowned home improvement brands with a rich history spanning over 50 years, B&Q’s Marketplace, accessible through diy.com, offers third-party sellers an extensive and influential sales platform, attracting over 250 million online visits annually.
Should I sell on B&Q Marketplace?
B&Q is the UK’s leading home improvement retailer, so if you’re looking to boost sales in the UK and your products fall into this category, then B&Q Marketplace is the perfect selling platform to achieve just that.
B&Q Marketplace may still be in its infancy, but it’s not to be underestimated, accounting for 24% of B&Q’s total e-commerce sales by February 2023 – just short of 1 year after its launch.
Several sellers have told us that within weeks, their revenue from B&Q had outgrown their revenue from other platforms where they had been operating for years, such as Wayfair, eBay, or even Amazon.
Tristan Commecy, Marketplace Director at B&Q
Benefits of Selling on B&Q Marketplace
Unlock a myriad of benefits by selling on B&Q Marketplace and revolutionize your e-commerce experience. Here’s why becoming a verified seller on B&Q Marketplace can be a game-changer for your business.
Diversify your sales strategy
By diversifying your sales channels and selling your niche, you can reduce dependence on major, more competitive platforms like Amazon and eBay, making your business more profitable
Expand reach and credibility
B&Q has been a trusted name in DIY and home improvement since1969. Being a marketplace seller with B&Q puts your products in front of new customers whilst benefiting from the increased credibility associated with the B&Q brand.
Reduced time to market
The process of getting set up to sell on B&Q marketplace is super easy. Plus, once you’ve completed the onboarding process, you’ll have access to sell on over 400 other Mirakl-powered marketplaces. After all, time is money, so the faster you get set up, the more opportunities you have to make a profit.
Inventory Control
When selling on B&Q Marketplace, the seller is responsible for shipping. This means you’ll never be forced to pay any fees B&Q for inventory management or order fulfillment. As a result, you’ll have more control to choose cost-effective solutions that work for your business, so you can stay profitable on tighter margins.
How to Become a B&Q Marketplace Verified Seller
Selling on B&Q Marketplace couldn’t be easier. Get started in 4 simple steps.
- First, you’ll need to complete a simple application form. Your application will be assessed against a range of criteria to ensure your business is suitable to sell on B&Q Marketplace.
- Once accepted, you’ll need to complete the onboarding process. This will include signing up to all requirements contained in our T&Cs and passing the required merchant and product checks.
- Upload and publish your products to B&Q Marketplace
- Sit back, Watch as your revenue grows.
As B&Q Marketplace is powered by Mirakl Connect, you only have to complete the onboarding process once. Once the onboarding process for B&Q Marketplace is successfully completed, you gain access to sell on over 400 Mirakl-powered marketplaces – Including Leroy Merlin, Catch and more.
Costs associated with selling on B&Q Marketplace
B&Q Marketplace charges sellers a standard subscription fee of £39 per month to have a presence on the platform, plus sellers will pay commission on any sales made on B&Q Marketplace.
Whilst sales commission fees for B&Q Marketplace are not published, a report from Mirakl that average marketplace commission rates for products in the DIY category are between 12% and 20%.
When it comes to shipping, sellers are responsible for arranging this and can choose their preferred courier for deliveries, this provides more control over fulfillment costs.
How to Sell Successfully on B&Q Marketplace
Getting setup on B&Q Marketplace is easy, but when it comes to successful selling, there are a few key aspects to focus on to ensure your business gets the most out of the platform
Inventory management and listing optimization
Efficiently managing inventory and optimizing marketplace listings plays a crucial role in your success. Maintain a well-managed and current inventory to avoid stock outs or overselling. Enhance product listings by incorporating high-quality images, detailed descriptions, and relevant keywords. Regularly update product information to reflect any changes or additions, maximizing the impact of your listings on B&Q Marketplace.
Leverage In-platform Advertising
Marketing tools are indispensable for successfully selling on B&Q marketplace. Explore the available options to effectively promote your products and maximize visibility. Utilize sponsored listings, featured product options, and targeted advertising. It’s essential to monitor analytics diligently, assessing the performance of your marketing efforts, and making necessary adjustments to budget and advertising listings to ensure optimal results and sustained success on B&Q Marketplace.
The sellers who regularly join the promotions run by B&Q also perform better, as we do give them massive exposure during the promotion period.
Tristan Commecy, Marketplace Director at B&Q
Follow Policies & Guidelines
Policies and guidelines play a vital role in ensuring a smooth selling experience. Establish clear and transparent policies for shipping, returns, and customer satisfaction and ensure you stick to them to avoid unhappy customers. Familiarize yourself with the policies set by B&Q Marketplace to avoid account suspension for non-compliance. Such as, SLA breaches, low customer quality score, selling restricted or illegal products, committing fraud, attempting to take transactions elsewhere or failure to meet quality assurance requirements. More details can be found in their General FAQs
Servicing Customers Efficiently on B&Q Marketplace
Exceptional customer support stands as a cornerstone for achieving success on B&Q Marketplace . It involves providing timely and professional responses to customer inquiries and messages. To ensure a smooth customer experience, it’s crucial to implement a reliable system for handling complaints and effectively resolving any issues that may arise. Additionally, actively encouraging and monitoring customer feedback is essential to identify areas for improvement, allowing you to enhance your services and further meet the needs of your customers on the platform.
eDesk is the only helpdesk solution that natively integrates with B&Q Marketplace to seamlessly streamline and scale your marketplace support. By servicing your B&Q Marketplace
customers via eDesk, you can consolidate messages, orders, and essential information from all your sales and communication channels in one centralized platform, streamlining your Support Team’s workflow.
Learn more about eDesk & B&Q marketplace
Conclusion
In summary, B&Q Marketplace is the ideal selling platform for eCommerce sellers in the DIY category seeking to expand reach and gain credibility in their niche whilst maintaining tight control over their inventory and costs. Customer support is integral to success in the B & Q marketplace. Timely responses, efficient issue resolution, and proactive monitoring of customer feedback are all important factors to ensure your seller account remains in good standing.
To optimize customer support on B&Q Marketplace, we recommend leveraging eDesk. As the only helpdesk solution native to Mirakl Connect which powered the B&Q marketplace, eDesk consolidates messages, orders, and essential information from all channels in one platform, streamlining your Support Team’s workflow. Embrace B&Q Marketplace and eDesk for a comprehensive and efficient eCommerce experience that ensures both marketplace success and customer satisfaction.
Additional Resources
Become a verified seller on B&Q Marketplace
