To prepare to sell on a marketplace, a store owner needs to align the platform’s terms with costs and the team’s workflow. Before listing products, prepare a calculation for the selected range, check product listings and stock levels, and assign people responsible for orders.
Decide upfront how you will assess results: how much remains after variable costs, whether orders are dispatched on time, which products are returned and what buyers report. Use these indicators to make decisions about pricing, product range and workflow.
Gather the terms of the specific platform
For each marketplace, account for its product listing rules, fees, order fulfilment options and buyer service requirements. The owner or responsible employee should gather these in one document.
- Record the seller and product requirements from the platform’s current terms.
- List payments separately, along with how they are calculated and the payout terms.
- Clarify who stores, packs and dispatches products, and who handles returns.
- Save the requirements for product listings and order processing times.
- For each item, add a link to the official page and the date it was checked.
Send unclear points to the platform’s support team. Do not apply one operator’s fees, available services or requirements to another. Use this list for preparation; check legal and tax requirements for sales separately before you begin.
Calculate costs per product and order
Contribution margin is the amount left from a sale after variable costs. It helps assess a product, order or promotion. To calculate it, subtract the costs associated with that sale from the selling price.
| Cost item | What to include in the calculation |
|---|---|
| Cost of goods | The cost of one product unit. |
| Platform fees and payment processing | Applicable charges under the terms of the specific services. |
| Order fulfilment | Picking, packing and delivery paid for by the store. |
| Advertising | Advertising costs associated with the sales generated. |
Mark which amounts apply per product unit and which apply to the whole order. For an order containing several products, record the method chosen for allocating shared costs. Do not count the same amount twice.
Illustrative example. A store sells one product for UAH 1,000. Its cost of goods is UAH 600, platform fees and payment processing are UAH 100, packaging is UAH 20, delivery paid for by the store is UAH 60, and advertising allocated to the sale is UAH 50. Contribution margin: 1,000 − 600 − 100 − 20 − 60 − 50 = UAH 170. All amounts are fictional and provided to illustrate the calculation.
Separately allocate a share of fixed costs—rent, salaries, equipment and software subscriptions—to the expected number of units sold. In the example, UAH 170 remains before these costs are included. Do not call this amount net profit.
Prepare a listing for a specific product
In the title, specify the brand, model or type, colour and model number, where applicable. Check the title against the product and the platform’s rules.
Fill in the structured attributes: separate values for brand, size, material and other parameters. They help buyers find the offer and compare it with others. Do not leave attributes only in a single block of description text.
Prepare photos according to the platform’s requirements. If its rules allow, add a photo showing the product next to an everyday object: this helps buyers understand its actual size. For similar products that differ by one parameter, such as colour, consider grouping the variants if the platform supports it.
Assign an employee to update the description when the manufacturer or store changes the product. Before listing, check the photos, attributes and package contents against the specific unit or product variant.
Align stock levels and order processing
Accurate stock tracking across sales locations reduces the risk of selling more products than are available. Check the actual quantity against the inventory records and marketplace offers. Decide who will update the available quantity after an in-store sale.
Online order fulfilment covers picking, packing, dispatch and the returns process. Assign someone to each task and describe how work is handed over to the next employee. Also agree on stock checks and order status reconciliation.
For order processing, choose the shortest timeframe the team can meet consistently. Track dispatch time and whether the order reaches the buyer within the promised delivery timeframe separately.
How to limit synchronization to in-stock products in Torgsoft
Torgsoft synchronization with an online store requires a Torgsoft Ultra or Terminal licence and the additional option «Синхронізація з інтернет-магазином» (Synchronization with an online store). If the store uses this synchronization, it can apply the filter «Синхронізувати товари тільки в наявності» (Synchronize only in-stock products).
When this setting is enabled, products with a zero or negative quantity are removed from the online store. Check stock levels in the inventory records before applying it. After synchronization, check which products remain on the site.
This action applies to synchronization with an online store. Separately check compatibility and how product offers behave on the selected marketplace. The setting is described in the instructions for synchronizing an online store with Torgsoft.
Set criteria for results in advance
Choose an assessment period and track the same set of indicators: contribution margin, order fulfilment costs, dispatch times, on-time delivery, return rate and buyer reviews. Also record cancellations due to products being out of stock.
Use the results to decide on a specific action. Recalculate the price if costs leave too little to cover fixed costs. Review order processing if the team misses the chosen timeframe. For returns and complaints, record the reason and check the relevant listing or order fulfilment stage.
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