UK retailer marketplaces: how to sell through B&Q, Debenhams, Tesco, Argos and more

Amazon and eBay are crowded, and margins get squeezed. Over the last few years a different channel has grown up alongside them: big UK retailers letting other businesses sell on their own websites.

The opportunity is real. B&Q's marketplace sold £445m of goods in the year to 31 January 2026, up 44%. But each retailer runs its own application, its own rules and its own service standards, and the details are often hard to find. This guide explains how retailer marketplaces work, how to apply, and where the main UK names stand at the time of writing (October 2026).

What a retailer marketplace is

A retailer marketplace is a retailer's website that also lists products from approved outside businesses, next to the retailer's own range. You keep ownership of your stock, set your own price, ship the order and handle the customer's questions. The retailer takes a commission on each sale and, often, a monthly subscription.

To the shopper it looks like one shop. On diy.com, marketplace products appear in search results in the same way as B&Q's own, with a "Sold & shipped by" label on the product page so customers know who they are buying from.

Most UK retailer marketplaces run on the same software, from a company called Mirakl. B&Q, Debenhams, Tesco, Argos and The Range all use it. Once you know one Mirakl back office, the others feel familiar. Mirakl separates the product (the title, description, images, barcode and attributes customers see) from the offer (your price, stock and dispatch time). Each retailer still sets its own categories and required fields, so your data needs mapping to each.

How it differs from wholesale

In a wholesale deal, the retailer buys your stock at a trade price, sets the shelf price and carries the risk if it doesn't sell. You get a large order and wait for payment on the retailer's terms.

On a marketplace, nothing changes hands until a customer buys. You hold the stock, you choose the price and you are paid the sale value minus the retailer's fees. Debenhams Group describes this as a "capital-lite, stock-lite" model for the retailer. You get more control over price and range, but you carry the stock, delivery and returns.

Some retailers sit in between. Wayfair works with suppliers rather than marketplace sellers: you set a wholesale cost, Wayfair sets the retail price and sends you purchase orders to ship direct to its customers. The Range offers both: sellers can choose a commission-based model and set their own prices, or a cost-based model where they agree a cost price and The Range sets the retail price.

How it differs from Amazon and eBay

• You apply, then wait. Retailers choose who sells on their site. Argos said from the start that its marketplace would not be an open or unregulated platform.
• The retailer's own range comes first. B&Q won't let you list a product with the same barcode as one it sells itself. Where several sellers list the same product, customers see only the offer with the best customer promise, judged on factors including price and availability.
• Fulfilment is usually yours. There is rarely an equivalent of Fulfilment by Amazon. Debenhams and Wayfair are exceptions, with Fulfilled by Debenhams and Wayfair's CastleGate network.
• Fees are less transparent. Several retailers don't publish commission rates until you are in their process.
• Standards are policed by people as well as dashboards. B&Q, for example, gives each seller an account manager who watches performance.

The upside is less competition and a trusted retail name next to your listing. Tesco shoppers even collect Clubcard points on marketplace products.

How to apply

Every retailer has its own form, but they ask similar things. B&Q's form asks for your VAT number, company registration number, turnover, number of products, whether you ship direct to customers, your average delivery time, whether you sell on other marketplaces and which system you sell through. Prepare these before you start:

1. Company and VAT details. Tesco needs businesses to be UK registered and VAT registered in the UK, according to integration partner ChannelEngine.
2. Barcodes on every product. Debenhams, for example, requires a registered UPC or EAN13 barcode for each item. Our guide to GTINs and barcodes explains how to get them properly.
3. Insurance and documents. B&Q asks for at least £2m of product liability insurance and a credit check. The Range checks your company details against Companies House and asks for proof of your main stock location.
4. Evidence you can deliver. Argos's questionnaire asks about turnover, range, delivery times and where your stock is held. A link to a well-rated store on another marketplace helps.

Timings vary. B&Q says setup typically takes less than five working days from application to going live, and Debenhams says its sales team reviews applications and gets in touch within one working day. In practice, clean product data decides how fast you launch.

Service standards you will be held to

Retailers are lending you their name, so they watch performance closely. For example:

• B&Q: dispatch within 2 days, deliver within 7 days with tracking, respond to customer queries within 48 hours and resolve them within 72 hours.
• The Range: at least 98% of items dispatched on time, no more than 1% cancelled for lack of stock and no more than 4% returned. Late deliveries the customer keeps carry a fee of 10% to 30%, depending on how late they are.
• Argos: replies to customer questions within 12 working hours, according to integration partner e-tailize.
• Tesco: vets every seller and keeps monitoring delivery speed, returns, ratings and reviews.

The common thread is accurate stock, on-time dispatch and quick replies. If you sell the same stock on several channels, you need inventory syncing. Our guides to stopping overselling and marketplace account health cover both.

Where each retailer stands in October 2026

B&Q (diy.com)

B&Q launched its marketplace in March 2022. In the year to 31 January 2026 it had 3.7 million products and £445m of GMV (gross merchandise value, the total value of goods sold). You apply online and B&Q assesses each application. Its merchant FAQs put the subscription at £49 a month plus commission by category. ChannelEngine lists £39 a month and 7% to 15%, so confirm your rate when you apply. Marketplace Click & Collect now runs in 300 stores. Our B&Q selling guide covers it in detail.

Debenhams

Debenhams sells other businesses' products through its online marketplace. Debenhams Group reported over 25,000 partner brands and 5.7 million active customers in its results for the year to 28 February 2026. You register through the Sell on Debenhams form. There is a monthly subscription and commission on each sale, but the rates aren't published, and agreements run on 6-month rolling terms. You can ship orders yourself, use Delivered by Debenhams for next-day courier delivery from your premises, or let Fulfilled by Debenhams store, pack and deliver for you.

Tesco

Tesco launched its marketplace in June 2024 and moved it onto Mirakl in October 2025. Tesco's published list of marketplace sellers had passed 1,000 businesses by September 2026, and it shows each seller's company name, VAT number, address and contact details. ChannelEngine reports no setup or monthly fee, with commission varying by category. You deliver every order yourself, separately from Tesco's grocery deliveries.

Argos

Argos soft-launched its marketplace in August 2026 with around 80 approved sellers, which it calls Trusted Sellers. They ship their own orders, are paid directly and handle customer support. Entry is by application only, and commission is agreed in each seller's contract rather than published. At launch, customers could not return Trusted Seller items to Argos stores. On 31 July 2026 Sainsbury's agreed to sell Argos to Swift Partners, with completion expected in February 2027. The announcement didn't mention the marketplace.

The Range

The Range opened its marketplace in 2020 and moved onto Mirakl in March 2026. Third-party sellers already account for 45% of its online sales. There is no monthly or listing fee. Commission is charged on the total sale including shipping, from 11% to 15% in the published table, plus a 1% payment fee and, on some established accounts, a 2% off-site marketing fee.

Wilko

The owner of The Range relaunched wilko.com on 12 October 2023, after Wilko went into administration. Some products on the site are shipped direct by suppliers. We could not find a separate Wilko seller programme. The practical route is The Range Marketplace, whose partner terms cover all websites the company operates. Ask during onboarding whether your products will appear there.

Wayfair (supplier model)

Wayfair is a home and furniture specialist, but you join as a supplier. You apply online, set up Partner Home (its supplier platform), sign a drop-ship agreement and add your catalogue. Its standard terms pay undisputed invoices within 60 days, and there is a monthly Platform Access Pass fee unless you qualify for an exclusion, though the amount isn't published.

Comparison at a glance

Fees change, so check current terms before you sign.

Which one to start with

Match the retailer to your range. DIY, garden, lighting and tools fit B&Q and The Range. Fashion, beauty and gifts suit a department store like Debenhams. Everyday household products suit Tesco shoppers. Furniture and large home items suit Wayfair. Argos suits businesses that fit its core categories and can reply fast.

Start with one or two, prove you can hit their standards, then add more. Each new retailer means another product file, order screen and inbox. If you would rather hand that work to someone else, book a free 20-minute demo: we look at your products and the channels you sell on today, and show where they could sell next and what it would cost.