Welcome to your go-to guide to selling on B&Q marketplace.
Whether you’re a seasoned seller looking to boost your sales or a newbie eager to dive into the world of online retail, we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know to dominate on this booming platform.
In this guide:
- Why sell on B&Q Marketplace?
- Apply to become a merchant
- Understand payment cycles
- Optimise your product detail pages
- Tap into B&Q promotions
- Handle returns like a
Why Sell on B&Q Marketplace?
“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, B&Q’s Head of Marketplace
One of the first retailers to launch their own marketplace, B&Q is an established household name with over 50 years of brand recognition and customer loyalty.
With over 290 million visits to diy.com each year, it’s no wonder sellers are keen to take advantage of the B&Q marketplace. From power tools to camping equipment to outdoor toys, over 1,100 third-party sellers are boosting their sales across 25 categories, including ones B&Q aren’t well known for such as cookware and tableware.
By the end of the marketplace’s first year, they had added 340,000 products to the platform, which is over 8 times the amount they had before launch. By their third year they were hosting over 1 million products, with plans to grow that number to 2 million in 2025.
“B&Q has fast become one of our biggest marketplace sales channels with revenue increasing 362% MoM from just month 2 to month 3 after launching” – Kayla Wilson, Head of Marketing at Furniturebox UK
Apply to Become a Merchant
Becoming a merchant is straightforward. You fill out a simple form and provide detailed information about yourself and your products. Your application will be carefully reviewed by the B&Q Marketplace team to ensure it meets high standards for customer satisfaction. Once approved, you’ll move onto the onboarding process where you’ll agree to the Terms & Conditions, and complete any necessary checks for both your business and products.
Costs associated with selling on B&Q Marketplace include:
- Subscription Fee: After your first sale, you’re charged a standard monthly fee of £39.
- Sales Commission: Sellers also pay a commission on each sale made through B&Q Marketplace. While specific rates are not disclosed, industry reports suggest that average marketplace fees for DIY category products typically range between 12% and 20%.
- Shipping Responsibility: Sellers are responsible for arranging shipping and can select their preferred courier for deliveries. This gives you greater control over fulfilment costs, allowing you to manage your expenses more effectively.
Publish Products
Once approved, you can upload your products for sale directly on the marketplace, ready to be viewed by millions of potential buyers. Your items are prominently displayed alongside B&Q’s own offerings in search results and listings, and customers can clearly see items labelled “Sold & shipped by X” during their shopping experience. At checkout, products are categorised based on whether they are handled by B&Q directly or fulfilled by verified merchants.
Payment Cycles
Let’s start with the essentials of getting paid and ensuring your business is compliant:
B&Q Marketplace has streamlined the payment process to balance cash flow and customer satisfaction:
- Order Journey: From customer order to shipping to receiving, ensuring your payment eligibility.
- Payment Runs: Twice a month on the 1st and 15th via Hyperwallet, following Mirakl’s My Statements module.
KYC Process
KYC (Know Your Customer) is all about verifying your identity and business credentials to ensure secure transactions. Here’s what you need:
Personal verification:
ID (eg. passport or driver’s license)
Proof of address (eg. utility bills or government documents)
Business Verification:
Articles of incorporation and details about your company structure.
Optimising Product Detail Pages (PDP)
Your Product Detail Pages (PDP) are like your storefront on B&Q – they need to grab attention and convert visitors into buyers:
Product Titles:
Think of your product title as a mini sales pitch:
- Keep it Clear: include brand, colour, design, material, and key features to help customers find your product easily.
- Stay Snappy: Aim for 30 to 130 characters. Avoid using all caps or special characters as this can make your title harder to read.
Nailing Media Assets
Photos and videos are your secret weapons to effectively showcase your product and capture customer interest. They should show your product from different angles and in various environments to help customers visualise how it would work in their own space.
Here’s how to get it right:
- Picture Perfect: High-quality images (500 x 500 px, 300 dpi) with realistic colours and no distractions.
- Video Insights: Optional but highly recommended for showcasing product features and benefits in a lively way.
- Legal Must-Haves: Include energy ratings and compliance documents to reassure customers and meet marketplace requirements.
Top tip: add easy-to-read call outs to the visuals so your customers get a quick overview of your product’s key features
Tapping into B&Q Promotions
Boost your sales throughout the year with marketplace promotions. By implementing smart strategies, you can capture shoppers’ attention and make your products stand out.
Stay in the loop with upcoming deals and discounts:
- Promotions Calendar: Check regularly for opportunities to participate and drive sales. Some of these promotions include a month-long Black Friday sale, ‘Keep Cool This Summer’ campaign and blockbuster ‘You Can Do It’ mega event.
- Setting Up Offers: Use Mirakl or CSV to enter discounts within the specified date range. This helps you automate and streamline the process of offering deals, ensuring the right discounts are applied at the right time.
Use Price Establishment to make your promotional pricing stands out:
- Establish Your Base: Set the lowest price for your product over the past 30 days to establish a baseline.
- Highlight Savings: Display ‘Was/Now’ pricing to clearly display the original price alongside the discounted price, showcasing the savings to customers.
Take Advantage Of In-Platform Advertising
To excel on B&Q Marketplace, it’s crucial to make the most of the available marketing tools. Explore the range of options to effectively promote your products and maximize visibility. Utilise sponsored listings, featured product placements, and targeted advertising to boost your reach. Regularly monitor analytics to assess the performance of your marketing efforts and make any necessary adjustments to your budget and advertising strategies. This ensures optimal results and ongoing success on B&Q Marketplace.
Handling Returns Like a Pro
Returns are part and parcel of online retail. They’re free for all customers, no matter the reason, and shoppers have up to 90 days from the date of purchase to return their item.
Here’s how to manage returns seamlessly:
- Prepaid Labels: Offer prepaid return labels upfront to save them hassle, and encourage repeat business.
- Direct Management: Handle returns promptly and directly to maintain customer satisfaction.
Certain items can’t be returned to store due to size or contents, so watch out for large or heavy items and products containing sensitive materials like lithium or chemicals.
Best practices stay on top of your game:
- Educate Your Team: Ensure your customer service team knows the ins and outs of B&Q’s return policies to provide accurate and efficient support.
- Timely Collections: Schedule pickups promptly to keep operations smooth and customers happy.
Armed with these tips and strategies, you’re ready to succeed on the B&Q Marketplace. For any questions or further assistance, feel free to reach out to us and we can set you up with a dedicated Account Manager and support team.
Here’s to your success on B&Q Marketplace – happy selling!
