Many established wholesalers now sell online alongside their trade business. Marketplaces reach customers far beyond your region, but they have their own rules and costs. This guide is for businesses already moving volume that want to add online channels.
Choose your marketplaces
Different marketplaces attract different customers and price points. Study which categories and prices sell on each before listing.
Listings that sell
- Clear photos on white background plus lifestyle images
- Accurate descriptions: material, finish, stones, dimensions, weight
- Honest labelling as imitation or fashion jewellery
- Relevant keywords in titles
Read product photography.
Pricing for marketplaces
Include commission, fees, shipping, returns, ads and packaging. Many sellers under-price because they forget returns and fees.
Price so that each sale still makes a profit after all of these. Designs that cannot carry the platform's costs at a price customers will pay are better sold through other channels.
Returns
Jewellery returns online can be significant. Reduce them with accurate photos, clear dimensions, sturdy packaging and good quality.
Packaging for courier
Pieces must survive courier handling: pouch, box and protective outer packaging.
Supply
Marketplaces reward consistent stock. Buying bestsellers from a manufacturer ensures steady supply and consistent quality. Private label designs protect you from price wars with sellers listing identical items.
Keep a reorder point for each listed design, and plan factory re-orders so best sellers never run out during festival peaks.
Common mistakes
Listing every design, ignoring returns in pricing, and using photos that make pieces look bigger or shinier than they are.
An example
A distributor lists its ten best trade designs online, priced for fees and returns, in branded boxes. After three months, the best four online sellers are re-ordered deeper from the factory, and two private label designs are commissioned.
See private label manufacturing.
Managing inventory across channels
Selling online and to retailers from the same stock can cause overselling, and the cancellations that follow hurt your marketplace rating. Keep one stock record by design code, updated daily, and either set aside a fixed online quantity per design or use software that syncs stock levels.
Reviews and ratings
Marketplace buyers read reviews. Consistent quality, accurate listings and good packaging earn good ratings, which improve visibility. Respond to negative reviews politely and fix the underlying issue.
Customer questions
Answer product questions quickly and accurately, especially about size, weight and materials.
Rules that apply to online sellers
Under India's Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, sellers on marketplaces must provide accurate product information, including the country of origin, the total price, and details of return, refund and exchange policies. Marketplaces also have their own rules for jewellery: most require honest material descriptions, and some restrict words like "gold" in titles unless qualified (for example "gold-plated").
Photos that pass marketplace checks
Most marketplaces require a clean main image on a pure white background, with the product filling most of the frame, and additional images showing other angles, the piece worn and scale. Images of at least 1,000 pixels on the longer side allow zoom on many platforms. See product photography for sellers.
Returns and how to reduce them
Jewellery returns on marketplaces come mostly from size surprises (a piece looks bigger in photos), colour differences and damage in transit. Show the piece worn and next to a ruler, photograph in daylight, and pack in padded, sealed packaging. Returns cost shipping both ways and time, so every return avoided is profit kept.
Choosing which designs to list
Not every design suits marketplaces. The best candidates are light (cheaper to ship), easy to photograph, and appealing without explanation: jhumkas, pendant sets, oxidised earrings, AD sets. Heavy bridal sets and regional pieces that need explanation often sell better through your own channels. Start with a focused range of your best sellers, and expand based on what sells online.
Packaging for courier delivery
Marketplace orders travel through several hubs and are often thrown or stacked. Pack each order in a sealed bag inside a small box or padded envelope, with the piece secured so it cannot move. Add a care card and, where possible, a small thank-you note: it costs little and improves reviews.