Global Wholesale Marketplace for Independent Retailers
Creoate set out to create a whole new way to wholesale—helping independent retailers source stock directly from thousands of independent brands without the cost and hassle of traditional trade shows and distributors. Retailers needed a single platform where they could discover unique products, see wholesale pricing, and order with confidence, while brands needed an efficient way to reach qualified retailers at scale.
Industry
B2B Online Wholesale Marketplace
Timeline
Ongoing partnership
Team Size
8 specialists
Creoate set out to create a whole new way to wholesale—helping independent retailers source stock directly from thousands of independent brands without the cost and hassle of traditional trade shows and distributors. Retailers needed a single platform where they could discover unique products, see wholesale pricing, and order with confidence, while brands needed an efficient way to reach qualified retailers at scale.
Key Pain Points:
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Independent retailers relied on trade shows, sales reps, and multiple distributors to find new brands, making sourcing slow and expensive
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High minimum order values and risky buy-ins made it hard for small shops to test new products
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No centralised place to discover and order from thousands of independent brands with clear wholesale terms
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Complex cross-border shipping and duties between the UK, Europe, and the US
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Limited visibility into returns, performance, and repeat ordering across brands
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Brands needed better tools to reach and manage hundreds of small retailers without building their own wholesale infrastructure
Business Impact
Without a modern wholesale marketplace, retailers struggled to keep assortments fresh and profitable, while independent brands found it difficult to scale beyond local markets. The friction in sourcing, shipping, and returns limited growth on both sides and left a big gap for a platform that could connect over 250,000+ retailers with 6,500+ independent brands on fair, transparent terms.
We supported Creoate in building and evolving a multi-vendor wholesale marketplace that connects independent retailers and brands in one streamlined platform. Retailers can browse thousands of products across home, fashion, beauty, stationery, food & drink and more, see wholesale prices after creating a business account, and benefit from free global shipping from £300, easy 60‑day returns on unsold stock, and a price match promise.
Our Approach
Marketplace Experience & Onboarding
Designed and refined a marketplace experience tailored to independent retailers: category navigation for home, beauty & wellbeing, fashion & jewellery, stationery & gifts, pets, kids, and food & drink; business-only signup and verification; and flows that clearly communicate wholesale pricing, minimums, and terms.
Brand & Product Management
Implemented robust tooling for brands to list products, set order minimums, manage inventory, and handle wholesale-specific details without Creoate holding stock. Ensured orders are placed directly with each brand while keeping the experience unified for retailers.
Logistics, Returns & Trust Mechanics
Integrated logic for free global shipping from £300 (with localised thresholds), transparent flat shipping fees below that, and streamlined 60‑day returns for unsold stock. Implemented messaging around price match promise and trust signals that reduce perceived risk for first-time wholesale buyers.
Content & Education Layer
Connected the marketplace with Creoate’s educational content—FAQ, Help Center, and blog articles on topics like inventory management, profit margins, and trade shows—to support retailers in making better buying decisions and to strengthen search/discovery.
Technical Highlights
Next.js front-end with React, Emotion, Material UI, and jQuery ecosystem for fast, modern UI
Headless CMS architecture using Strapi alongside WordPress with WooCommerce, Dokan multi-vendor, and GTranslate plugins
MySQL-backed data layer powering marketplace entities and transactions
Multi-CDN strategy: Cloudflare, Amazon CloudFront, and Amazon S3 for global performance and edge caching
Comprehensive security: Cloudflare Bot Management, reCAPTCHA, and HSTS for marketplace protection
Advanced analytics stack: Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics GA4, Mouse Flow, Facebook Pixel, and LinkedIn Insight Tag
Marketing automation: HubSpot (CMS, Marketing, Chat), ActiveCampaign, Aimtell push notifications, and Microsoft Advertising
Progressive Web App (PWA) capabilities with Webpack bundling and optimized asset delivery via cdnjs
Social integration: Open Graph metadata, RSS feeds, and AWIN affiliate network
User engagement: Survicate surveys, Google Fonts, Font Awesome icons, and toastr notifications
The platform has become a trusted wholesale destination for independent retailers and brands, reducing friction in sourcing and helping both sides grow faster.
250,000+
Retailers Using Platform
Independent retailers in the Creoate community
6,500+
Independent Brands
Brands supplying stock through the marketplace
3 regions
Shipping Coverage
UK, Europe, and US shipping supported
£300
Free Shipping Threshold
Free global shipping from £300 (T&Cs apply)
60 days
Returns Window
Easy returns on what doesn’t sell within 60 days
Excellent
Trustpilot Rating
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot at time of writing
Business Impact
Enabled retailers to source unique products from thousands of independent brands in a single place
Lowered risk for retailers through free shipping from £300, easy 60‑day returns, and price match promise
Gave independent brands a scalable channel to reach qualified wholesale buyers without managing their own tech stack
Improved speed and efficiency of wholesale buying, helping stores keep assortments fresh and competitive
Return on Investment
Investment:
Ongoing partnership
Additional annual revenue:
250,000+ retailers, 6,500+ brands
ROI:
Strong product-market fit
Return in first year:
Sustainable unit economics
Creoate's marketplace has grown into a community of over 250,000+ independent retailers and 6,500+ brands, demonstrating strong product–market fit and sustainable unit economics for both sides of the platform.
"Creoate has made wholesale buying feel modern. We can discover new independent brands, see wholesale prices, and test products with the safety of 60‑day returns and fair shipping terms. It’s become our default way to source fresh stock."
Independent Retailer using Creoate
Retail Partner
Technologies Used
Related Services
Services we used for this project
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