Cost of living: how shop owners keep their margin by selling online
Published on 3 min read The 123Ventes team
When everything goes up, every euro of commission counts. Selling direct, on your own online shop, lets you keep your margin while offering your customers a fair price. With 123Ventes, the shop is free until your first order, then €29.90 a month, with no commission.
Energy, rent, raw materials: for a maker or a small shop owner, costs rise faster than the prices you dare to charge. On the other side of the counter, customers are counting too. They compare, wait for discounts and want to know where their money goes.
In this context, selling online is not a luxury. It is a way to find new customers without handing part of your margin to a middleman.
Purchasing power: what changes for small shops
When purchasing power falls, habits change:
- customers compare more, often on their phone, before going out;
- they buy less, but better: products that last, made close to home;
- they want transparency: where the product comes from, who makes it, why it costs what it does.
An independent shop has everything it takes to meet these expectations. It just needs to be visible where customers look, which means online.
Platform commissions, an invisible cost
Marketplaces are handy to get started. But on every sale, between the commission and the payment fees, 10 to 15% of the price often goes. You don’t see it at the time: it is taken before the payout.
For €1,000 of sales a month, a 15% commission costs €150. On your own 123Ventes shop, the same sales cost the €29.90 subscription plus card fees (about 1.5% + €0.25 per payment with Stripe), around fifty euros in total. The difference stays in your till.
And the more you sell, the wider the gap, because the subscription stays the same.
Selling direct: buying local at a fair price
Selling direct means removing a link in the chain. You can then choose: keep the margin to stay afloat, or pass part of it on to your customers with a gentler price. Either way, you decide.
It is also a message that resonates: your customers know that when they buy from you, their money stays in the neighbourhood. Make the most of it:
- show the workshop, the supplier, how things are made;
- offer in-store pickup, with no shipping costs;
- explain your price, without apologising for it.
To go further, read our guide on how to sell locally online.
What an online shop really costs
An online shop does not have to be a big investment. With 123Ventes, the price is simple:
- €29.90 a month, or €319.90 a year, with no commitment;
- 0% commission on your sales;
- card, PayPal or bank transfer payments, delivery, invoices and point of sale included;
- human support, in French.
To compare solutions, see our article on the budget for opening an online shop.
Start without paying before your first sale
When cash flow is tight, you think twice about adding another subscription. That is why, at 123Ventes, the subscription only starts with your first order. You create your shop, add your products, set up delivery and payment, and you pay nothing until you have sold something.
Start small: your ten best products, good photos, in-store pickup. You will add the rest as sales come in.
Free online shop until your first order, then €29.90 a month, 0% commission.
Conclusion
The rising cost of living affects everyone, shop owners and customers alike. Selling direct, without a middleman, means keeping control of your prices and your margin. And it gives your customers a good reason to buy local.