The Commercial Perspective · Guide 02
Free readiness checklist / 02
Six questions to answer before you sign, and a checklist to use before you go live.
A marketplace can open new customers and new countries in weeks. It can also add costs, returns and work your team did not plan for. The time to find out is before the contract, not after the first invoice.
For luxury and premium fashion brands, independent boutiques and multi-brand retailers considering a marketplace, or already approached by one.
Before you sign / The commercial case
A signed contract, a launch and a profitable partnership are three different things.
Be clear about the goal: new countries, new customers, more full-price sales or moving older stock. Then look at who shops there, which brands sit next to yours, and whether that neighbourhood fits your positioning.
Ask: what would success look like after six months, in numbers?
Commission is only the start. Add platform and payment fees, shipping both ways, the return rate in your category, price parity with your other channels, and the hours your team will spend on it.
Ask: what is left from an average order once returns are counted?
Decide which categories, how much depth and which sizes go live. Check overlap with your own store, website and wholesale partners, and whether the marketplace shares your stock or needs its own allocation.
Ask: which products will sell there without competing with our other channels?
Before you go live / The operational reality
The details that look small at signature are the ones that stop a launch.
Images, descriptions, size guides, barcodes, materials, translations and categories all have to meet the marketplace’s standards. Know how products and stock will connect: a feed, an integration or manual upload, and how often stock updates.
Ask: could we upload our full assortment correctly next week?
Dispatch times, pickup address, company details, shipping labels, returns handling and customer service in the right languages. Plan for peak weeks: going live just before a sale period leaves no room for mistakes.
Ask: who in our team owns each order from payment to delivery?
Read beyond the commission: pricing and promotion rules, payment terms, exclusivity, performance reviews, who owns the customer relationship, and how either side can end the agreement.
Ask: what can we change after launch, and how do we leave if it does not work?
Put it to work / Your readiness checklist
Tick what is true today. Every “not yet” is a conversation to have before you sign.
Ready is a decision, not a date
For some businesses, a marketplace is the fastest way into new countries. For others, the costs and the workload outweigh the reach, at least for now. Saying “not yet” can be the right strategy. The goal is to decide with the full picture: the customer, the channel, the numbers and your team.
Want an outside view before you sign?
I am Julia Kallas, founder of Julia Kallas Advisory in Milan. I spent four years building retailer partnerships at a major European fashion marketplace, from the first conversation through negotiation, onboarding and launch. I can help you prepare for a marketplace, or check whether the one you are already on is earning its place.
juliakallas1@gmail.com · linkedin.com/in/juliakallas
A decision aid, not financial or legal advice. Check the numbers and the contract for your own business.