Choose the consignment model
Decide what you accept, whether you also buy items outright, and which categories fit the store.
Starting a consignment store
Build the seller, inventory, commission, and payout process before accepting the first item.
A successful consignment store needs more than a register. Decide how merchandise enters the store, who owns it, how it is priced and discounted, what happens when it sells, and how the seller is paid.
Launch plan
Eight decisions to make before opening.
Document these choices early so staff and sellers receive the same answer every time.
Define the ideal seller
Set quality, quantity, condition, season, brand, safety, and appointment requirements.
Write the agreement
Cover ownership, term length, pricing, markdowns, returns, unsold items, liability, and payment rules.
Set commission and payout rules
Choose the split, statement period, payment timing, adjustment process, and external payment methods.
Design item intake
Create a repeatable inspection, seller assignment, description, cost, price, category, and status process.
Choose labels and checkout
Use barcode labels or lookup codes that connect every item to its owner and commission terms.
Prepare returns and reconciliation
Document customer returns, seller withdrawals, missing items, corrections, and statement disputes.
Test before opening
Run sample intake, sale, return, discount, statement, and payment-record scenarios with staff.
Operating rules
Put the agreement and money rules in writing.
A seller should understand the complete arrangement before leaving merchandise with the store.
Ownership and item terms
Define the consignment period, item condition requirements, pricing authority, markdown schedule, unsold-item pickup, donation, loss, damage, and return rules.
Commission and fees
State the store commission, any item-specific split, customer card-fee policy, taxes, returns, adjustments, and whether different sellers can have approved terms.
Statements and payment
Choose the statement period, payment schedule, minimum payout, delivery method, dispute window, and external payment methods the store will use.
Day-to-day workflow
Make every item traceable from intake to final statement.
Seller recordAgreementItem intakePrice & labelCheckout or returnCommissionPayout statement
Understand the payment boundary
SolentX calculates and records what each seller is owed and produces payout statements. The store completes payment through its chosen bank, check, cash, or external provider, then records the payment.
Common mistakes
Avoid the processes that create disputes later.
Using one spreadsheet for everything
Seller terms, item status, returns, commissions, and payments require history—not an overwritten total.
Accepting items without a policy
Inconsistent intake creates overcrowding, unclear pricing authority, and difficult unsold-item conversations.
Treating payout as an afterthought
Choose the period, approval process, statement format, payment method, and correction procedure before the first sale.
Ready to connect the process?
See how SolentX connects sellers, inventory, labels, checkout, returns, commissions, and payout statements.