# I want to create a multi-vendor site similar to etsy where people can sell their stuff? Any software suggestions?



## Kwelp68

I don't know if this is the place to ask, but I know that there's a ton of knowledge on this site. 

Basically, I'm wondering what it entails to build a multiple page website like a Craigslist or an Etsy? We already have a nice site as it is, but it was costly, and not near the bulk of those sites. I'm interested in multiple pages, where individuals could log into their own account. Is setting up a page like this a gi-normous task, and crazy expensive? Does anyone have any info about web design? Thanks a ton.


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## Pwear

Depends what kind of features you're looking for. To program something with a membership database back-end from scratch would be in the thousands most likely, but you CAN adapt some existing software to make it work. E-commerce sites like Cubecart, Zencart, etc. have customer-log in built in, so you could use that aspect in your site. Other software like Joomla or Drupal also have log-in features but are not ecommerce websites out of the box. Even Blog software like Wordpress can be adapted for log-in functions.

It might be easiest to write out every front-end feature that you're looking for (things that the user sees, like log-in, check-out, etc.), and then see what sort of existing software would be the easiest to adapt to your needs. Most of the software out there has plug-ins for most needs, so it really comes down to what's best for your inteded purpose.


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## Kwelp68

Pwear said:


> Depends what kind of features you're looking for. To program something with a membership database back-end from scratch would be in the thousands most likely, but you CAN adapt some existing software to make it work. E-commerce sites like Cubecart, Zencart, etc. have customer-log in built in, so you could use that aspect in your site. Other software like Joomla or Drupal also have log-in features but are not ecommerce websites out of the box. Even Blog software like Wordpress can be adapted for log-in functions.
> 
> It might be easiest to write out every front-end feature that you're looking for (things that the user sees, like log-in, check-out, etc.), and then see what sort of existing software would be the easiest to adapt to your needs. Most of the software out there has plug-ins for most needs, so it really comes down to what's best for your inteded purpose.


Hey, I really appreciate the reply! Yeah, I can't believe being 27 in this generation, that I don't have any friends who have some knowledge in this. My brother just graduated with a bunch of MIS students, and they have no clue. I know our website was way expensive because there seems to be limited knowledge on how to make a nice site on your own, or on the cheap. 

I really want a format like ETSY has, where you could submit your products, and have a log in feature to view "your page" with your products. 

Do you yourself build web pages? I really appreciate the software recomendations, but I wouldn't know what to do with them.


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## Pwear

I do build ecommerce sites, but I think that what you're looking for is a little over my head. I believe that pikiware might work for you, but there are others on this site that know way more than I do about how that particular system works, so I'd wait for their input.


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## Kwelp68

Thank you soo much for your help. I'm google searching pikiware right now to find out more. I just wonder if "stripped down" sites like craigslist and etsy cost a ton? They have tons of pages, but don't look that intricate.


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## Rodney

> I really want a format like ETSY has, where you could submit your products, and have a log in feature to view "your page" with your products.


Are you trying to sell _your own_ products yourself or are you trying to enable _other people_ to have stores on your site so they can sell their own products?


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## Kwelp68

Rodney said:


> Are you trying to sell _your own_ products yourself or are you trying to enable _other people_ to have stores on your site so they can sell their own products?


That's exactly what I want to do. Allow others to have an account, upload artwork, and inturn, customers can buy apparel with their artwork. Like downloading from istock photo except with shirts.


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## EversionClothing

before you go about building a site like this, make sure you actually need it.

there is no point in doing something that isnt needed and then driving up the overhead of your products from a failed venture that has nothing to do with the product itself.

its a great idea and may look cool, but is it worth it?


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## Kwelp68

EversionClothing said:


> before you go about building a site like this, make sure you actually need it.
> 
> there is no point in doing something that isnt needed and then driving up the overhead of your products from a failed venture that has nothing to do with the product itself.
> 
> its a great idea and may look cool, but is it worth it?



Thanks for the input Frank. I'm pretty good about thinking things through thoroughly before acting, and doing them on a budget, Lol. But, I hear what you're saying. Luckily we have great price points because we don't have a bunch of lost investments.


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## Rodney

Kwelp68 said:


> That's exactly what I want to do. Allow others to have an account, upload artwork, and inturn, customers can buy apparel with their artwork. Like downloading from istock photo except with shirts.


It sounds like Aaron's suggestion of checking out Pikiware/Delco is a good one then.

From what I understand, their software is setup to do just that (allow people to have stores on your site)

I don't know of any software that you can install on your own website that would allow for an etsy type marketplace, but there are lots of ebay "clone" type scripts out there that let people sell via your site.

The Magento script is pretty flexible. If you have the budget for it, there's probably a developer there that could extend the script to fit your needs.

The comments on this blog I found also seem to have some decent leads, including someone that contacted the owner of elo7.com (similar to etsy) and found out that he would be willing to help someone start their own niche site:

http://www.avalon5.com/wordpress/we...e-commerce-holy-grail-multi-site-multi-store/

Here's another place to check out:

PHP Online Malls | E-Commerce Scripts & Programs | Hot Scripts


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## Kwelp68

Rodney said:


> It sounds like Aaron's suggestion of checking out Pikiware/Delco is a good one then.
> 
> From what I understand, their software is setup to do just that (allow people to have stores on your site)
> 
> I don't know of any software that you can install on your own website that would allow for an etsy type marketplace, but there are lots of ebay "clone" type scripts out there that let people sell via your site.
> 
> The Magento script is pretty flexible. If you have the budget for it, there's probably a developer there that could extend the script to fit your needs.
> 
> The comments on this blog I found also seem to have some decent leads, including someone that contacted the owner of elo7.com (similar to etsy) and found out that he would be willing to help someone start their own niche site:
> 
> http://www.avalon5.com/wordpress/we...e-commerce-holy-grail-multi-site-multi-store/
> 
> Here's another place to check out:
> 
> PHP Online Malls | E-Commerce Scripts & Programs | Hot Scripts



Man Rodney, thanks a lot for this info! I'm going over to the links to take a look.


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## Kwelp68

This is really great info! I Boutique mall: iBoutique.MALL- php mall software, multi vendors multiple merchants php mysql script portal
and: iScripts MultiCart - Multi vendor shopping cart

looks really interesting. Thanks for the links Rodney. Now, I need to contact them and see if it could be integrated into our website. Ultimately, I'd like to do this seperately from our current website, but it might be crazy expensive.

Just not quite sure how this works. These are software programs that integrate with a built site? Time to research...


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## trytobecool

I think Magento will do that too. multi magento software on different stores....runs on same database & that might give you more benefit as you get access of their database(customer?)

NiL


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## EversionClothing

Kwelp68 said:


> Thanks for the input Frank. I'm pretty good about thinking things through thoroughly before acting, and doing them on a budget, Lol. But, I hear what you're saying. Luckily we have great price points because we don't have a bunch of lost investments.



haha, im sure you are. just wanted to mention it. maybe other people wouldnt have thought about it. 

sorry...


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## Kwelp68

EversionClothing said:


> haha, im sure you are. just wanted to mention it. maybe other people wouldnt have thought about it.
> 
> sorry...


oh no no no, it's all good. That's really good advice and I appreciate you responding. You're right, I wouldn't want to venture into something that flops. I plan on spending alot of time researching this.


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## knkvisser

Hi...I know it's been awhile since you posted this, but I was curious if you ever got any answers/quotes or went ahead with your plan. I'm meeting with a web designer this week and would love your input/research.
Thanks!!


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## turquoisetees

What ever happend with building the multi user site? sounded like a good idea.


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## PrintforProfit

Best bet: elance.com. This site is a marketplace for developers and those in need of development. Post a detailed version of your vision and let people bid on it. Pay attention to their feedback and portfolio. How would this be 'different' from Etsy? I don't think another Etsy is needed...this is a crowded space.


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## plan b

i have a site like this,, don't bother,, the scripts are expensive and you can't give away the stores


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## Lovinlifegroup

Man, I found this cool site that does do multi-vendor. Teesroc.com


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## [email protected]

its not even up yet !


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## spion

I know its an old thread but I was looking at using magento to create a multi vendor website or try out this etsy clone Etsy Clone - Agriya's eCommerce Marketplace Software - which is probably more expensive but at least the name of it makes it obvious what it does!


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## DrTheopolis

There are two free options that I know of for a multi-vendor web store. One is Ubercart Marketplace, but that has all customers paying to the same account (such as the account for the operator of the entire site), and then that person has to distribute funds to all the vendors.

Because I want to set up a multi-vendor web store where each vendor gets paid directly, like they do on Etsy, I decided to write the software myself.

However...it is a work in progress but it would be nice to have some testers when the time comes.

My software is a Drupal module. It is called User Storefront and it will let each user have his own store within the site with his own independent inventory control and payment processing through Paypal (later I will probably add other payment gateways).

The module's project page is currently at:
Dr.Theopolis's sandbox: User Storefront | drupal.org

and

User Storefront Drupal Module | St. Augustine Artist Co-op

It is EXPERIMENTAL and unfinished at this time. It should be fully functional and ready for an alpha release in about a month.


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## technoloG

Hi everyone,

I thought I'd resurrect this thread, since I stumbled upon it while doing research for a client and I hope this post is not only helpful to this forum, but also to anyone else who may land on it while searching for similar solutions.

Many niche vendors are looking for a unique way to sell their wares and they are looking to create an experience that is similar to a site like Etsy (Etsy - Your place to buy and sell all things handmade, vintage, and supplies)

This pattern is commonly referred to as _multi-vendor_ or _multi-cart_. Essentially, a centralized site hosts a shopping experience for vendors, and a seller who wishes to become a merchant can create an account and the account will include a micro-store, where the main site (via webmaster or root administrator) gets a portion of profits for every sale through a vendor's micro-store.


When it comes to an overall shopping experience, there are some simple solutions to hosting a store for your own branded items:
- Shopify: http://www.shopify.com/

Be aware that this is more of a single-vendor experience.

There are some software frameworks out there that support multi-vendor experiences. If you are familiar with Ruby on Rails, there are a few 'gems' to get you started.

Here are some developer-friendly RoR frameworks:
- Ruby on Rails e-commerce: Ruby on Rails E-commerce
- Spree: The World's Most Flexible E-Commerce Platform | Spree Commerce

There is also a company called Agriya that has an “Etsy Clone” script called BuySell:
- Etsy Clone PHP script,ioffer script,Marketplace for Buy and Sell

Additionally, there are a few software products available for purchase and distribution that can be leveraged for similar functionality:
- iScripts MultiCart: iScripts MultiCart - Multi Vendor Shopping Cart
- Kodemall: Kodemall - Multivendor Ecommerce Platform | multishop marketplace
- MarketPress: https://www.marketpress.com/ (Built on WordPress)
- IXXO: IXXO Shopping Cart (Built on WordPress, Joomla Plug-in)
- cs.cart: Shopping Cart Software & Ecommerce Software Solutions by CS-Cart (PHP)
- X-Cart: X-Cart: PHP shopping cart software for e-commerce web-sites. (PHP)

Lastly, there seems to be a missing piece in much of the available solutions: a storefront for each vendor. If this is a concern, be aware that you may have to customize the software to provide that piece. Many of the products are actively maintained and updated, so additional features such as the individual storefronts are no doubt being added.

There is one product called Bitcart that seems to provide a storefront for each vendor as of this writing. In addition to a "multi-vendor" solution, they also provide a "marketplace" solution that includes individual storefronts for each vendor.

You can find out more here:
- Bitcart: Ecommerce Shopping Carts Software Solutions For Stores & Websites


In the process of evaluating each of these solutions, I'd encourage you to evaluate some of the following critera, as we did with our client:
- company location (for support response)
- hosting requirements
- distribution and installation
- customization
- additional fees

Many of these do provide sample sites to interact with. Check out the customer and vendor experience as well as the administrative experience.

Lastly, the direction you take will depend on your resources. If you have access to a software development team, the available frameworks may be what you're looking for, as they can build upon them and really shape it specific to your needs. If you have access to an IT team, installing and customizing one of the script-based products may be the way to go. If you're looking to get up and running quickly, one of the more out-of-the-box solutions might be all you need.

Realize that each of these approaches has their own cost-benefit trade-offs. Having someone with a technical background to help evaluate your needs vs. the available solutions will help you get there. In any case, once you've identified the solution that is right for you, the turnaround should be fairly quick.

Drop me a message any time if you need any further guidance.

I hope this helps!


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## Nandakumarrkk

Features you can find in it -
Multi merchant platform 
can manage multiple stores
Multi payment gateway 
social share 
multi language support 
online auction and much more. 

You can find all these in Uniecommerce Uni-eMerchant


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## ryanmontgomery

This can be achieved with a wordpress extension called buddypress, it even allows you to have your homepage updated with new products as each shop adds them.


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## johnpauull

technoloG said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I thought I'd resurrect this thread, since I stumbled upon it while doing research for a client and I hope this post is not only helpful to this forum, but also to anyone else who may land on it while searching for similar solutions.
> 
> Many niche vendors are looking for a unique way to sell their wares and they are looking to create an experience that is similar to a site like Etsy (Etsy - Your place to buy and sell all things handmade, vintage, and supplies)
> 
> This pattern is commonly referred to as _multi-vendor_ or _multi-cart_. Essentially, a centralized site hosts a shopping experience for vendors, and a seller who wishes to become a merchant can create an account and the account will include a micro-store, where the main site (via webmaster or root administrator) gets a portion of profits for every sale through a vendor's micro-store.
> 
> 
> When it comes to an overall shopping experience, there are some simple solutions to hosting a store for your own branded items:
> - Shopify: http://www.shopify.com/
> 
> Be aware that this is more of a single-vendor experience.
> 
> There are some software frameworks out there that support multi-vendor experiences. If you are familiar with Ruby on Rails, there are a few 'gems' to get you started.
> 
> Here are some developer-friendly RoR frameworks:
> - Ruby on Rails e-commerce: Ruby on Rails E-commerce
> - Spree: The World's Most Flexible E-Commerce Platform | Spree Commerce
> 
> There is also a company called Agriya that has an “Etsy Clone” script called BuySell:
> - Etsy Clone PHP script,ioffer script,Marketplace for Buy and Sell
> 
> Additionally, there are a few software products available for purchase and distribution that can be leveraged for similar functionality:
> - iScripts MultiCart: iScripts MultiCart - Multi Vendor Shopping Cart
> - Kodemall: Kodemall - Multivendor Ecommerce Platform | multishop marketplace
> - MarketPress: https://www.marketpress.com/ (Built on WordPress)
> - IXXO: IXXO Shopping Cart (Built on WordPress, Joomla Plug-in)
> - cs.cart: Shopping Cart Software & Ecommerce Software Solutions by CS-Cart (PHP)
> - X-Cart: X-Cart: PHP shopping cart software for e-commerce web-sites. (PHP)
> 
> Lastly, there seems to be a missing piece in much of the available solutions: a storefront for each vendor. If this is a concern, be aware that you may have to customize the software to provide that piece. Many of the products are actively maintained and updated, so additional features such as the individual storefronts are no doubt being added.
> 
> There is one product called Bitcart that seems to provide a storefront for each vendor as of this writing. In addition to a "multi-vendor" solution, they also provide a "marketplace" solution that includes individual storefronts for each vendor.
> 
> You can find out more here:
> - Bitcart: Ecommerce Shopping Carts Software Solutions For Stores & Websites
> 
> 
> In the process of evaluating each of these solutions, I'd encourage you to evaluate some of the following critera, as we did with our client:
> - company location (for support response)
> - hosting requirements
> - distribution and installation
> - customization
> - additional fees
> 
> Many of these do provide sample sites to interact with. Check out the customer and vendor experience as well as the administrative experience.
> 
> Lastly, the direction you take will depend on your resources. If you have access to a software development team, the available frameworks may be what you're looking for, as they can build upon them and really shape it specific to your needs. If you have access to an IT team, installing and customizing one of the script-based products may be the way to go. If you're looking to get up and running quickly, one of the more out-of-the-box solutions might be all you need.
> 
> Realize that each of these approaches has their own cost-benefit trade-offs. Having someone with a technical background to help evaluate your needs vs. the available solutions will help you get there. In any case, once you've identified the solution that is right for you, the turnaround should be fairly quick.
> 
> Drop me a message any time if you need any further guidance.
> 
> I hope this helps!



Hi 

Thanks for the info. I strongly prefer ixxo cart which is standardised, has all the needed features in it but i found its reviews are less compared to others. Recently i came across Uni-eMerchant a new product to the market having combo of group deals and online auction.


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## jamesadamcs

Hi,

Here is one of the script where I got from Google Search, hope this will be helpful for you to create an etsy like website.
https://www.apptha.com/magento/buy-sell


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## Maxcat

I would love to see someone do an Etsy type site that has some limits on number of vendors or shirts or something. I never purchase T shirts online. I just can't take scrolling through 1,000,000 vendors and shirts saying "I can't adult today". Just not worth the trouble to me.

I'd love to see a marketplace with some type of approval process that would allow for selling of truly unique designs. Once "keep calm and carry on" is added by one person no one else can advertise the same design. Of course you do have the problem of minor variations and the question of when is a design truly unique.


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## plan b

I have a directory set up that is kinda unique to each approach of multi vendor, the site allows you to use a shopping cart of your own that you control and all sales go directly to the vendor.. but here I think is the kicker, its a geo location so someone searching for t shirts in a certain town or state can search for local vendors,, or the customer can simply allow their ip address and the site will display all vendors in their IP area.. Street maps etc are included in each listing.. works like charm..


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## ankushmahajan

There is no better solution than YoKart to build a multivendor website like Ebay, Amazon. Visit YoKart website for more details


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## P2G

So happy for the current responses to this thread. I am looking for exactly this information myself as well. 

I've asked a ton of people for help and get crickets. I've looked at various scripts and haven't found anything that would work. 

Please update if the OP has created a site  I would love to take a look at it. 

Sheri


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