Online digital fashion retail platform reports top seller passing £50,000 in sales

Online digital fashion retail platform reports top seller passing £50,000 in sales

On the back of two Handbag.com awards for Best Vintage Site and Best New Fashion Site, ASOS Marketplace announces plans to grow its digital platform to include sellers from around the globe.

The move will extend the digital platform from the current business model, featuring UK-based boutiques and individual sellers only.

Since opening its digital doors six months ago, the retailer has reported that the virtual marketplace continues to grow exponentially, maintaining a trajectory which has seen new sellers and consumers using and transacting on the site on a weekly basis; with the top-selling boutique having turned over £50,000 in sales and the top-selling individual seller having passed the £10,000 mark.

Having recently added dedicated space for Boutique blogs and a Twitter-style Fashion Feed for sellers to update their followers with new listings and blog posts, the site will launch on the localised websites in the US, France and Germany this summer and open up the marketplace to allow anyone from anywhere in the world to sell.

Currently 50% of Marketplace traffic is from outside the UK, yet only those from the UK can sell. This launch will also introduce new features, including ‘Make Me an Offer’, a mechanism for buyers to bid for items.

Early growth shows promise

James Hart, ASOS e-commerce director, said: “Our new Marketplace platform has so far exceeded all of our expectations. That fact the site is open to anyone and remains so fashion credible is a testament to our sellers’ passion, product and photography skills, as well as the ASOS Marketplace team, who work closely with all sellers to build their stores. What I love is that there is substance behind the style too; many sellers are making thousands of pounds every month, even at this early stage. With increased functionality and a global launch in a couple of months, I feel this is still just the beginning for Marketplace.”

Showcasing over 150 boutiques and 12,000 live street-style listings, the highest performers are reaping the benefits of a vast global audience of over two million active users and in some cases are failing to meet consumer demand.

One marketplace user, Deborah Ellis, from Madam Popoff Vintage, commented: “I was one of the first people to sell on this amazing site. Not only have I had the chance to shoot and style my own mini ‘ads,’ but being on the site has given me the kind of exposure a small business like mine can only dream of.”

Dominic Keenan from Ease the Squeeze added: “It’s dead easy to use and we’ve sold items as far afield as Singapore, America and Australia.”

And Daniel Greenberg of Sam Greenberg Vintage and Peace Corps, said: “We've shipped all over. Sales have been excellent and growing month-on-month.”

A 10% selling fee applies to individuals for each item sold. Boutique owners pay £50 per month (which includes an account manager at ASOS, store front customisation and a premium Marketplace listing) and a 15% fee on each sale.