What is a consignor?

A consignor is someone who has their own things sold in your shop. You put them on display. When something sells, the consignor gets part of the price and you keep the rest. When it doesn't sell, the consignor takes it back or gives it away.

This way of selling is called consignment. A shop that works like this is a consignment shop. In the UK, you'll also hear sale or return. In Dutch, a consignor is an inbrenger.

Where does the word come from?

Consignment comes from the Latin consignare: to entrust something to someone under seal. In trade, it has meant for centuries that you hand goods to someone else to sell, while they stay yours until they're sold. Merchants shipped cargo to traders overseas this way, and only got paid once the trader had sold it.

Secondhand shops still work like that. The clothes belong to the consignor until someone buys them. That's why you, as the shop, don't pay anything up front.

How it works in EasyConsign

1. You add the consignor under Consignors. Every consignor gets a number.
2. For each item, you pick the consignor and the percentage they get, for example 40%.
3. When the item sells, 40% of the price goes to the consignor's balance.
4. You pay the consignor out whenever you've agreed. See Paying out consignors.

The consignor can follow along through a personal link: which items are in the shop, what's sold and what their balance is. See The personal link for consignors.

What percentage is usual?

That's up to you and the consignor. Many shops give the consignor between 30% and 50%. More expensive pieces sometimes get a higher percentage. In EasyConsign, you set it per item, so you can agree on something different per consignor or per piece.

No consignors?

Only selling your own stock? Leave the consignor empty on the item. You can also use EasyConsign simply as a register for your own things.