History of Merkandi

2023

Ability to boost offers at any time

We provide an easy-to-use module for refreshing your offers. Once every 30 days, the refresh is completely free. A faster refresh with payment with Merkandi points is also available. Refreshing your offers is a simple and effective tool to increase the visibility of your offers!

Possibility of creating offers prior to the activation of the sales option

The company's verification time is dependent on a number of factors. Therefore, in some cases it can extend up to two weeks. We have changed our internal system and now users can create their offers while the Merkandi team verifies the company. After positive verification, all listings will be automatically published.

Adding information on which countries the seller ships to + free shipping

International trade is becoming simpler and... cheaper. That is why we have added the option to define which countries the seller ships to and the ability to specify free shipping to countries of their choice, along with the option to specify the amount limit at which free shipping is offered.

Merkandi reaches the speed of light!

After more than a month of hard work, we can proudly say that the site has been speeded up by up to 70%. Loading times have decreased significantly, which makes browsing the site even more enjoyable. Check it out for yourself.

Most popular searches and new promoted offers section

We have implemented a new section: the most popular searches and with them, numerous visual changes. These include a new Week's best offer section and Top offers from the category. Merkandi has become more visually appealing and even easier to use.

Import/export knowledge base

International trade is not the simplest of things. In addition, searching for information on trade rules, customs duties, etc. For each country, it can be time-consuming. To save you time, we have put together a summary of information for most of the countries of the world so that national borders are no longer an issue in international trade.

Report the offer

Goods are unoriginal? Information missing from the offer? Or is the price out of date? In order to ensure the highest quality of content on the site, we provide our users with the opportunity to report offers.

Search prompts

We are implementing a simpler search system on our website. From now on, when you type a phrase into the search field, the system will suggest categories, the most popular tags and the most relevant products. This makes searching simpler and getting to the right products even quicker.

Ordering products

Trade always involves contact with the customer. One of the most frequently reported problems is endlessly drawn-out conversations with buyers. To reduce the number of messages exchanged and increase sales, we are introducing an ordering system with a shopping basket. Now ordering from the buyer's point of view is simpler and more intuitive, and the seller receives the order ready for processing.

Onboarding of wholesalers

The full details of the seller such as payment methods, shipping methods, opening hours etc. should be standard. To ensure that every seller has a fully completed profile, we have implemented seller onboarding. Completing the data will result in fewer unnecessary enquiries from buyers and more interested parties.

New, better and faster import of offers

We have developed a completely new import of offers. It is now faster, simpler and more intuitive to use. We hope that the growing number of users using this module will find it even easier to add and update their offers.

Publication of offers - even simpler

From now on, we take care of everything on Merkandi. You can publish each offer in just one version, and we will translate it into all other languages. International trade becomes even easier.

Faster, simpler filters and sorting

We have made a number of improvements to the filters - from now on, they are sorted by the number of offers you have, we have made it easier to navigate to subcategories and their speed. In addition, we have implemented the ability to sort offers by price and by date of adding an offer.

Onboarding for buyers

On Merkandi, the most important thing is the offers. We have introduced an onboarding process that allows the user to select the categories and grades they are interested in, after which they receive a newsletter with offers perfectly tailored to their needs.

Renewable subscriptions already on Merkandi

We have applied a new, more convenient way of managing your subscription. From now on, with subscriptions for a monthly period, the subscription amount will be charged automatically until cancellation. Now everything is even simpler.

Merkandi's sustainability activities

Merkandi is a platform that for years has focused on selling surplus, liquidation, end-of-series, etc., i.e. anti-waste. In order to promote this idea and educate the public, we have set up a dedicated subpage with a report on our activities in this area.

Stock section with a more relevant set of offers

We have made changes to the mechanism for categorising listings into the stock section. From now on, offers containing a set of carefully selected keywords will appear in this section, helping to reduce the number of missed offers and increase the number of exceptional bargains.

Product discounts are already here!

From now on, whenever a wholesaler changes the price of a product to a lower price, this will be marked in the offer as a promotion with an indication of the new and old price.

Increase sales through quality indicator

We have introduced a new feature - the offer quality indicator, thanks to which every seller can interactively improve their offers and as a result → sales. The indicator has a measure from 0 to 100 where a score above 85 indicates a high quality offer. Feel free to test the functionality!

We will save your card details for easier payments

From now on, any user who has ever paid for a service on Merkandi by credit or debit card will have the option of choosing a saved card for the next payment.

Directions to the warehouse

In the wholesaler profile, we have introduced a larger map that is more visible and easy to read and includes a very important change - it has the option of a route. Planning a visit to a wholesaler has never been so easy.

2022

Access to wholesale offers without limits

We have translated all offers on the site into all available languages. Thanks to this, every user, regardless of language or language version of Merkandi, will see the same set of offers for purchase. More offers = more customers for wholesalers!

Improved messaging module and response rates

One of the key elements in international communication is e-mail. We have improved the module to make it easier to use, plus we are introducing a new feature - indicators. We will be highlighting sellers who respond to all messages and do so in the fastest possible time.

Merkandi available in 6 new countries!

Following the needs of users and visitors, we are launching Merkandi in six new languages: Danish, Croatian, Norwegian, Estonian, Finnish and Slovenian. New countries mean newer business opportunities for both buyers and sellers.

Mobile version even easier to use

We have made a number of UX and UI improvements to make using Merkandi on mobile even simpler, faster and more enjoyable. In addition, we will be working on the user panel in the coming months, which will have a direct impact on the positive experience of existing customers.

Mercandi speeds up again

We have implemented a number of improvements to make the platform faster. This ranges from optimising images, to fixes that make selected pages load up to 60% s faster. Browsing new listings has never been so fast.

Artificial intelligence in action

We are entering a new era. We have implemented the enhancement of offer titles using artificial intelligence. AI will take care of better fitting and more appealing titles for customers

Best offers higher on the list

We have implemented a higher positioning system for the most popular listings. From now on, the best offers will be listed even higher so you can reach them even faster!

We create tutorials to make it even easier to use Merkandi

We have created the first guide on how to add listings to the platform. It is graphical and textual, with tips on how to list offers that sell. This is the start of a series of materials to make using our platform even easier.

The new, better search engine is here!

We have implemented a new search engine that includes a number of advantages. It is much faster, returns more tailored search results, is resistant to spelling errors, and can recognize the variation of words. Now, with the new search engine, it is even easier to find the products you are interested in!

We are looking for investors

The Merkandi platform has been growing in strength, gaining new users, Sellers and Buyers, and our ambitions are increasing along with their needs. That is why we are looking for investors, thanks to whom we will accelerate the implementation of the vision - wholesale trade that is simple, globally accessible, intuitive, secure and international. Would you like to be part of this revolution?
Contact us

Our next step is to enter new markets

We believe that wholesale trade has no limits. In our mission to connect wholesalers around the world, we aim to simplify international trade and set out to expand into new markets. We have launched a pilot program aimed at Arab countries, where we introduce the platform to new sellers and buyers. The result is an even wider market and more business partners for you!

New contact channel for all visitors - Live Chat

Until now, chat on the website has only been available to registered users and in selected sections of the platform. Because we understand how intricate wholesale can be and how many questions can arise, we are launching a chat for all visitors.

We are testing a new type of account - Premium PLUS

In order to meet the users' needs, we have activated a new type of account on a test basis within the framework of a promotion, which, in addition to a number of PREMIUM account benefits, has three additional services: Contractor Verification, Goods Search and Credibility Certificate. This is another step on our way to best adjusting our services to the needs of our Customers.

New Freemium Account for Sellers

We have created a new type of account for Sellers - FREEMIUM. From now on, new undecided sellers have an opportunity to explore the potential of Merkandi without any obligations.

New payment methods for Merkandi services

We have launched two additional payment methods that our users have been asking for - Apple Pay and Google Pay. These new, instant and easy forms will speed up the payment process.

We are improving communication process

We have set ourselves the goal of communicating with our user in the best possible way.

The process starts already at registration and here we have implemented a series of educational messages about Merkandi and the services we offer. This is a small step towards improving our platform and a big one towards making the message simpler, more intuitive and transparent.

Operations Department

Due to the growing needs of our users, the Customer Service Team transformed into the Operations Department.

We are creating a team of the best experts, with a wide range of skills, in order to take the best possible care of our customers and to meet their expectations. All this so that our employees are more competent and able to satisfy the growing number of customers.

2021

We are introducing a customer satisfaction survey

We have launched a series of regular Net Promoter Score (NPS) customer satisfaction surveys to better determine the quality of our services and the direction of development/changes.

We start with "Packages for Business"

The full range of "Packages for Business " has been launched, which has already met with great interest.

Because everyone likes promotions, and November is perfect for that, we ran a LongBlackWeekend campaign that allowed our customers to save 30% on registrations and renewals. We ran the LongBlackWeekend campaign with incredible success.

We ran the LongBlackWeekend campaign with incredible success.

We will soon be introducing "Packages for Business"

After months of preparation, we are now close to presenting our customers with "Packages forBusiness", sets of professional services to support the wholesale trade.

This is why we have prepared a pre-sale of the service with an attractive promotional discount.

To everyone about everything or to everyone individually?

We prepare for the implementation of a personalised website experience, i.e. we listen to the needs of the individual user and prepare the presentation of only the content that interests them.

Improved CSV and XML import system

We know that time is money, so we have made changes to the CSV and XML import system. Now it is even easier and more intuitive for the user, which will definitely improve the quality of use.

New layout, new experience on mobile version

Following the recommendations of users and User Experience specialists, we have put into use the new Merkandi website. The new layout in the desktop version and a completely new experience on the mobile version are just some of the improvements for our users.

New managers - BOK and Sales

Rapid international expansion and a lot of interest forced us to enlarge our Customer Service Department and create a new Sales Department. It became a natural process to hire managers to manage these departments.

Ebook - A practical guide for every wholesaler

As the buying and selling of goods becomes more and more accessible, price, quality and margin are the competitive advantages. We have put together a book to help you learn how to buy the best, highest quality goods at the lowest price.

Merkandi moves to conquer another 7 countries

It's official! We are removing another boundaries of wholesale trade and opening up new opportunities for your business. We enter 7 new countries with 7 new languages, increasing the number of potential customers and wholesalers.

2020

Notification about promotion of your offers

Did you know that Merkandi promotes selected offers on the website? From today, if you are among the people whose offer we have promoted, you will receive a notification about it.

You got the merchandise? We have a buyer!

If one of our buyers adds a purchase offer for products that are in your offer, we will notify you by email! We are launching a new newsletter aimed at increasing sales to wholesalers and the number of offers to buyers.

Possibility to share data with sellers

If you agree, your contact details will be visible to the wholesalers with whom you correspond. This will make it easier for the wholesalers to contact you.

A successful transaction? Ask for a comment!

Only one click separates you from receiving a positive comment after a successful transaction, we will do the rest for you!

You will never miss an opportunity again!

From now on you can follow your favorite categories, searches, etc. No matter if you are looking for an item that is currently out of stock or for the best price - you will never miss an opportunity again.

Pay only to verified account numbers!

The sellers have the opportunity to verify their bank accounts. Thanks to this procedure we increase the security of transactions among buyers. Merkandi says stop to criminals!

New visual identity and registered trade mark

We've made two important changes on Merkandi. One of them is the official registration of the "Merkandi" trademark for the whole Europe. Therefore, we also decided to refresh our visual identity. We are introducing a more modern and simpler logo in line with current trends.

Revolution in the messages module!

We have introduced a refreshed look for threads and messages. From now on it looks similar to conversations in well known social media. In addition, we have also included detailed information about your conversation partner, a list of products you are talking about and a preview of them.

See the most important offer data without opening it up!

In the listings of offers, after hovering the cursor over the photo of the offer you are interested in, you will be shown a box containing most of the necessary information to assess its accuracy.

Quickly locate an offer that requires your special attention

An offer that does not meet our Terms and Conditions for the publication of offers will be marked with a transparent flag in the language version in which it was published.

Once again, we are increasing the security of your account

We make sure that your contact details are not modified in an unauthorized manner.

You want to publish your first offer? You can count on our help!

Because we care about our sellers and about the highest quality of their offers, we will be happy to give you the necessary advice if your offer diverges from our standards.

Edit automatic translations!

We translated your offer automatically, and you'd like to correct it? Now it's possible. The content of the automatic translations is available to you just as much as the content you write in your offers.

Easy and quick publication of similar offers

You sell a lot of goods that are similar to each other? From now on, you no longer need to complete the same description every time, because you can use the possibility to copy it from your other offers.

New arrangement of the inbox

You receive or send a lot of messages and have trouble categorising them? From now on you can move your messages to several thematic folders.

Activity bonus for new sellers

Publish your first 10 offers and receive a points package that you can use to promote your offers!

Sneak peek new offers in favourites

We've redesigned your list of favourite offers so that you can quickly reach them. This is another much-awaited and necessary change that makes using Merkandi even more convenient and intuitive.

Recently viewed offers

You had a look at Merkandi and found an interesting offer, but ... which one was it? The new dashboard allows you to save the list of recently viewed offers, so that you never overlook the most interesting ones.

Purchase offers for unregistered users

From today you can add a purchase offer without registration! This new functionality will bring more purchase offers, and therefore more sales opportunities for wholesalers on Merkandi. We invite you to publish your purchase offers!

Notifications about the change of e-mail address and login method

Security on Merkandi is one of our main priorities, so as of today if you change the login method (disable and enable two-factor login) and change your email address, you will receive an appropriate notification from us. No one will ever make changes to your account without your knowledge!

Notifications about new warehouses

Every day we verify new warehouses that offer interesting goods for sale. From today you can enable such notifications and keep up to date with new Merkandi sellers.

We fulfill the wishes of our users!

We provide the option of refreshing the offers once every 14 days and setting the offers as a "permanent offer". Thanks to this your offers will be automatically refreshed. The refreshed offer goes to the top of the list of offers, thanks to which it will regain popularity!

Promotion packages - more benefits for a smaller price.

Due to numerous questions about such functionality, we have prepared it for you! From today, you can promote your offers in many places at a lower price. Check out your user dashboard today!

2019

We increase the security of your account.

We have implemented two-factor login that will greatly increase the security of your Merkandi account. Because two-step login is set by default to user accounts, Merkandi is one of the leaders of the security in the wholesale market.

Translation of all offers - offers in each language version

From today you can find virtually all offers available in all languages. We have translated them for our users to remove language barriers and allow everyone access to an even larger catalogue of offers at the most attractive prices!

Section with the best offers and wholesalers

Have you ever wondered which offers and wholesalers are the most popular? We have just created a section where you can follow such a ranking. You can use this information to match your customers' needs and better understand the trends on the market.

Information about the moderated offer

Do you know that our team moderates your offers every day to increase their attractiveness, reach, and position in search results? As of today, in your Dashboard, you will be able to see which of your offers have been moderated and which are still in the queue waiting for editing.

Notification about ending offer promotions

From now on, once your offer's distinction is expired, you will receive a notification informing you of the effects and the possibility of extending it.

New notification options and their settings

Too many notifications? Perhaps you would like to change the notification channel? From today you can choose between Push Notifications / E-mail notifications, and declare which notifications you want to receive.

We are adding more currencies!

Due to numerous requests, we are adding more currencies in which you can pay for Merkandi services: DKK, NOK, RON and SEK. More currencies means more possibilities.

Merkandi at the international IAW Fair in Cologne!

During IAW, one of the most important wholesale trade fairs in Europe, our stand was visited by a lot of our current users, as well as many entrepreneurs from all over Europe. We gained new experience and heard a lot of warm words from the Clients.

New payment method now available!

We meet your needs. As of today you can pay for our services in UAH, RUB and in the form of local payment. Спасибо!

We are preparing for great promotions

Discount codes have arrived on Merkandi. From today we will create discounts for you, thanks to which you will be able to save up when buying Merkandi services

Decide to whom you are sending the message

You can decide to whom you are targeting the item on the Shortlist.

Additional notifications channel

Possibility to send a notification via Facebook Messenger.

The best offers on top of the list!

We have introduced an innovative algorithm that raises the position of the best offers. We take into account the following: popularity of offers, number of inquiries, quality of the offer, the seller's score. From now on finding the best offers will be even easier!

Pay for Merkandi services in your currency

We have introduced the ability to select the payment currency for Merkandi services. From now on you can choose in what currency you want to pay us.

Price conversion in each offer

You do not know the calculator of pounds and dollars? Or maybe you can't be bothered to count? For your convenience, we have introduced currency conversion in offers so that you don't have to count anymore and wonder if the offer is attractive to you or not!

We are launching the Belgian version.

Belgium, we are coming! We launch the Belgian version at merkandi.be with the default Dutch language. New country, new opportunities!

Purchase quotations

We have launched a new section in which you can place a search ad on the commodity you are looking for. We are sure that in the blink of an eye you will be contacted by an interested wholesaler to offer you the goods you are looking for at the best price.

Minimal order value, now also as quota

So far, the minimum order has always been determined in quantitative form. From now on, you can also specify it by quota. It is a tribute to our wholesalers and the diversity of ways of doing business.

We are conquering a new continent.

Merkandi is primarily an international platform. Today we launch the Australian version, thus opening up new possibilities for our users. Trading without borders is at your fingertips.

We have found the way to India.

We don't slow down the pace! A new language version for the growing group of buyers and sellers from India has just been launched.

Welcome to the Green Island.

We don't slow down the pace! A new language version for the growing group of buyers and sellers from Ireland is now available.

Bună dimineața! We have launched a Romanian language version.

We don't slow down the pace! A new language version for the growing group of buyers and sellers from Romania has just been launched.

We have separated a section dedicated to stock lot offers only.

Merkandi is the leader on the market of liquidation stocks, surpluses, ends of the series, etc. In order to further facilitate your access to this type of offers we have created a special section for them. Check it out!

Time is money.

We've accelerated our website so that you can search for the best products faster. The loading time of Merkandi has significantly improvd.

Bank transfer

You can make a payment for our services using a traditional bank transfer to a bank account available in your country.

New service - searching for goods

Searching for goods is not easy, and the price, type of goods, quality and other features are crucial for profitability. Can't you find interesting offers? From today, we can find them for you!

Notifications about new products

Has offer disappeared just in front of your eyes? Do you want to avoid this in the future? From now on you can follow selected categories, search results and profiles of wholesalers, and we will inform you whenever a new item appears in them.

Information about new unread messages

The messages from your contractors will no longer be missed! We have improved the way we inform you about unread messages.

Internal messages system

Have you lost the message thread when corresponding with the contractor directly by e-mail? Never again! In each e-mail we will include all your correspondence in chronological order.

Exclusive Zone settings

We have completely separated the viewing of Exclusive Zone offers from the classic sales offers on Merkandi. You can be sure that the offer you are viewing is intended for a selected group of customers.

Products photo presentation settings

From now on your photos will be perfectly framed, regardless of their actual size.

2018

Search Tool

We have improved our search engine's effectiveness and search speed. From now on finding the product you are interested in will be even easier.

Verification of the products

You can order from us the inspection of goods carried out directly in the wholesaler's warehouse. Our specialist will check them for you and send you an inspection report. This way, you will increase the security of purchase.

We have increased the readability of the highlighted offers

Distinguished offers are gaining a new look, thanks to which they will be better standing out from the others, which will increase sales potential.

We have improved the look of the page on mobile devices

In order to provide our Members with even more comfortable use of Merkandi, we have made a number of improvements to the mobile platform version. Thanks to this, website support from mobile devices becomes even easier and more convenient.

We have launched the Exclusive Zone

We have launched new, completely unique section for special offers. The Exclusive Zone includes the best deals on the internet, and the offers which cannot be shared in public.

Goedemorgen! We have launched a Dutch language version.

We do not slow down the pace! New language version for the growing group of buyers and sellers from the Netherlands has just been launched.

Even faster, even better Merkandi

One year of our work to optimize the platform resulted in faster, more efficient and more secure Merkandi.

2016

We have a new branch!

We are proud to announce, that we have opened a branch in Wroclaw, Poland. New staff, new opportunities!

Another two language versions of Merkandi available

Turkish and Czech language versions are the latest additions to our platform, which grows in strenght and popularity on a regular basis.

2015

Merkandi looks even better!

More clear look, improved navigation, more friendly user interface and many other new features.

New versions for another two countries

We have launched German-language versions of Merkandi to our users from Austria and Switzerland.

2014

Buona giornata! Merkandi is now available in Italian too!

Scientists prove, that even monkeys trade.

2013

Greek language version makes its debut, we have even better results!

We do not stop growing. Spanish language version is here!

Only in China, 242 millions of people shop online!

According to the independent research, online shopping is now ca. 30% of global shopping.

2011

More and more members from non-European countries!

French language version is now available: retourware24.fr (merkandi.fr).

2010

For the first time in our history, we record 1.000.000 visits per month!

Changes in graphical desing of the platform, together with some new features.

2009

Merkandi is now available in English.

New language version is availble on retourware24.com (merkandi.com i merkandi.co.uk). Worldwide expansion continues.

The platform becomes available in German.

German language version of the platform becomes available here: retourware24.de (merkandi.de). We expand to German-speaking countries.

2008

Retourware24.pl (currently: Merkandi.pl) is starting up in Poland. We stand out with members' verification and by focusing on the stock lots market.

Earlier

Scammers more often appear on the internet. More informed traders choose reliable platform, which verify the members.

Computers are now the most essential tool for the international trade.

Michael Aldrich invents online shopping.

The trade opens Asia and Africa to the rest of the world. It is also the main reason for rapid progress of civilization.

The establishment of the Silk Road brings together Eastern and Western world.

First merchant colonies appear, the trade becomes one of the main jobs in the world.