Many retailers and D2C brands reach the same question: should we sell on Amazon, Nykaa or another marketplace, or build our own store? You can do both, but the order matters. This guide covers what you need before you list, what the marketplaces ask for, and when your own storefront makes sense.
What to have ready before you register
- Your business registration and PAN, a current bank account, and a GSTIN. Most marketplace sellers need a GST registration, with some exceptions, so check your category on the seller portal.
- A clear product list with names, sizes, variants, MRP and selling prices.
- Good product photos: a clean main image on a plain background, plus a few more angles.
- Honest descriptions and specifications that match what you ship.
- A plan for packing, shipping and returns, because marketplaces measure you on all three.
What the marketplaces care about
- Catalogue quality. Complete titles, images and attributes help buyers find the product and trust it.
- Delivery and returns. Late dispatch and high return rates hurt your listing.
- Price. Buyers compare in seconds, so work out your margin after the commission, shipping and returns before you set a price.
- Approval. Some categories and brands need approval or documents before you can sell. Each marketplace sets its own requirements and changes them, so read the current rules on its seller portal.
Marketplace or your own store?
A marketplace brings buyers who are already searching, but it also brings fees and competitors on the same page. Your own storefront gives you the customer relationship, your own pricing and your own brand, but you have to bring the visitors yourself. Many brands start on a marketplace to find out what sells, then build their own store for repeat customers.
Keeping several channels in order
The work grows with each channel you add. Stock has to match across all of them, orders arrive in different places, and prices drift out of step. Decide early who updates the catalogue, who packs orders and who handles returns, and keep one master product list that every channel copies from.
How FutraInc can help
We offer e-store management to help optimise your online sales channels, and Uricko, a multi-vendor marketplace platform we can brand and deploy for you if you want your own marketplace rather than a store. Tell us what you sell and where you want to sell it, and we will say what we would set up first. See our services or contact us.