Global Wholesale Marketplace for Independent Retailers

Creoate • London, United Kingdom

https://www.creoate.com

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.

Bransch

B2B Online Wholesale Marketplace

Tjänster

E-commerce Development

Tidslinje

Ongoing partnership

Teamstorlek

8 specialister

Utmaningen

Nyckelproblem:

•
Independent retailers relied on trade shows, sales reps, and multiple distributors to find new brands, making sourcing slow and expensive
•
High minimum order values and risky buy-ins made it hard for small shops to test new products
•
No centralised place to discover and order from thousands of independent brands with clear wholesale terms
•
Complex cross-border shipping and duties between the UK, Europe, and the US
•
Limited visibility into returns, performance, and repeat ordering across brands
•
Brands needed better tools to reach and manage hundreds of small retailers without building their own wholesale infrastructure

Affärspåverkan

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.

Vår lösning

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.

Vårt tillvägagångssätt

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.

Tekniska höjdpunkter

✓

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

Resultaten

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+

Återförsäljare på plattformen

Independent retailers in the Creoate community

6,500+

Oberoende varumärken

Brands supplying stock through the marketplace

3 regions

Frakttäckning

UK, Europe, and US shipping supported

£300

Tröskel för fri frakt

Free global shipping from £300 (T&Cs apply)

60 days

Returfönster

Easy returns on what doesn’t sell within 60 days

Excellent

Trustpilot‑betyg

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot at time of writing

Affärspåverkan

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

Avkastning på investering

Investering:

Ongoing partnership

Ytterligare årlig intäkt:

250,000+ retailers, 6,500+ brands

ROI:

Strong product-market fit

Avkastning första året:

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."