Big retailers launching online marketplaces – what you need to know

When you think of online marketplaces, big names such as Amazon, eBay and Facebook might be the first that come to mind. But you could be shopping on marketplace sites more than you think - with well-known pharmacies, DIY and home stores all hosting their own third-party seller sites.

Here, we look at a selection of retailers that host third-party sellers, including Boots, Superdrug and B&Q. We explain how you can tell you're shopping with a third-party seller on each site, and what this means for returns. 

We also explain how furniture marketplace site Wayfair works, and what your rights are when shopping on online marketplaces. 

New health and beauty marketplaces

Boots 

Boots Marketplace is due to launch in spring this year, with plans to double the number of products available online through Boots within two years. 

Marketplace items will appear next to Boots-direct products, and shoppers will see a single basket checkout even if they're buying from third-party sellers. 

Boots Advantage Card holders will still earn points on marketplace buys.

Superdrug 

There are thousands of products on Superdrug Marketplace, with more being added daily. 

Products sold by third-party sellers include hair products, skincare, make-up, nutritional supplements, and electronics such as hair-styling tools and slow cookers. The health and beauty retailer launched its third-party seller site towards the end of 2022. 

There’s a dedicated marketplace section on the website, but marketplace products also appear alongside those sold by Superdrug. 

These have the marketplace logo next to the thumbnail image on the product results page (see below), and a label stating ‘proudly sold and shipped by a Superdrug Marketplace seller’ on the product page. 

We looked at a handful of products from different sellers, and each had its own delivery times and costs. 

Unlike products bought online directly from Superdrug, those bought from third-party sellers can’t be returned directly to Superdrug. You’ll still get 28 days to return your item, but will need to raise a return request via your online account or shipment confirmation email, and return it to the address provided by the seller. 

• Find out more: best beauty and health shops

Home and DIY brands with third-party sellers

B&Q

Home improvement store B&Q launched its own marketplace last year, promising 100,000 products within six months (in addition to the 40,000 sold by B&Q). 

You can't tell from the product category page that a product is sold by a third party, but once you click on it you'll see a label stating either 'sold & shipped by B&Q' or, for example, 'sold & shipped by Litecraft' like in the image below.  

The third-party sellers are verified by B&Q. 

To return a product sold by a third-party seller, use the 'Contact Seller' link in the email relating to your order. Some products can be returned in a B&Q store, but not all, and you can't exchange them in-store either.

The Range

According to The Range, 30% of the products sold on its website in summer 2022 came from third-party suppliers. It launched its marketplace offering - The Range Plus - in 2021 and there are thousands of products on there. 

The selection includes small games and toys, furniture, DIY tools, and even big-ticket items such as sheds. Products are shipped directly from third-party sellers.

On the product category page, items from third-party sellers display a small Range Plus badge, and once you click on a product it will be labelled as 'sold and shipped by a Range Plus partner'.  

You can't return Range Plus items to The Range stores. You'll need to tell the third-party seller that you're returning it, and pay a collection fee (ranging from £4 for small items such as books up to £75 for extra-large items such as sofas). 

Wayfair  

Billion-dollar furniture site Wayfair isn't a traditional retailer, but it isn't an obvious online marketplace, either. It's similar to Amazon Marketplace, but without the vast fulfilment centres filled with products. 

Wayfair doesn't manufacture any of the huge selection of products it sells, instead hosting 16,000 'supplier partners' across the world. Most products sold by Wayfair are shipped either from the factory or from third-party sellers' warehouses, although it has a relatively new logistics arm called CastleGate that includes a fulfilment service (similar to Fulfilled by Amazon).

Wayfair decides what is sold through its site, and sets the retail price of products (suppliers are paid a base price for the item). 

When a shopper places an order for an item, Wayfair buys it from the third-party supplier, and in most cases it will then be fulfilled by the supplier directly. This is known as dropshipping.

Returns are processed through Wayfair. 

• Find out more: best home and DIY shops

What are my rights when shopping on an online marketplace? 

If you buy from a trader or retailer, your rights are no different from if you’d bought from any other online store, but you might have to deal directly with the third-party seller to return the item. If you've bought from more than one seller, you'll need to process each return separately. 

For high street retailers that sell products from third parties, you'll need to check on the website to find out whether you can return items in-store. 

If you have an issue with a third-party seller, you might be able to resolve it with the retailer directly. Look out for a dispute resolution centre on retailer sites.