Argos, one of the largest retailers in the United Kingdom, has launched its own Argos marketplace. Where customers previously chose only from Argos’s own range, they can now also buy products from external selling partners. For e-commerce sellers, this opens up a new sales channel in one of the largest online markets in Europe.
What is the Argos marketplace?
The Argos marketplace runs on Mirakl’s software and went live at launch with 80 selling partners. Argos receives more than a billion website visits each year and already offered over 60,000 products before the launch. With the marketplace, the retailer expands that range significantly, without having to hold all the stock itself.
For sellers, that reach is appealing. An established name with a large, returning audience lowers the barrier to entering a new country. You benefit from the platform’s visibility, while you remain responsible for your own products, stock and administration.
A deliberately curated platform
Notably, Argos has chosen a closed, carefully curated model. The company emphasises that it will not become an open or unregulated platform. Both the sellers and the products are vetted in advance for quality and safety.
International sellers may apply, although fulfilment from a UK warehouse appears to be an important selection criterion. Formally, that is not a hard requirement. With this approach, Argos positions itself against platforms such as Amazon, OnBuy and JoyBuy, which respond to the growing demand for one-stop shopping in the UK.
Sale of Argos to Swift Partners
The launch coincides with a change of ownership. Sainsbury’s, which owned Argos for ten years, is selling the retailer for 120 million pounds to the Swift Partners consortium. It intends to revive Argos as an independent brand. The marketplace fits that ambition: more choice for the customer and a stronger position in UK e-commerce.
What do you need to arrange if you want to sell?
Important to know: the Argos marketplace is not an open platform that just any seller can join. You first have to apply as a selling partner and pass Argos’s selection, in which both you and your products are checked. Once that is settled, selling abroad also brings administrative obligations.
- Application and approval: submit your application and make sure you meet the platform’s requirements. Fulfilment from a UK warehouse appears to be an advantage.
- VAT: sales to UK consumers fall under UK VAT rules. Because Argos is a marketplace, the platform accounts for the VAT in many cases, for example for consignments up to 135 pounds or for stock already located in the UK. Even so, you often still need your own UK VAT registration, for example if you store goods in a UK warehouse.
- EPR: the UK also has extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligations, for example for packaging, electronics or batteries. You often need to have this arranged before you start selling.
In short: before you start selling on a platform like the Argos marketplace, first apply and check your VAT and EPR obligations. Not sure what applies to you? Feel free to get in touch, and we’ll look together at what your situation requires.
