What Daraz genuinely gives you
It is fashionable for platform companies to be rude about marketplaces. That is not honest. If you have no audience yet, Daraz solves the hardest problem in retail: people who are already shopping, today, with their wallet open.
- Existing traffic. You do not need ads, followers, or SEO to get your first order.
- Built-in trust. Buyers who would hesitate at an unknown website will buy from a marketplace they already use.
- Logistics handled. Pickup, delivery and returns run on their system.
- Free market research. You learn which of your products actually sell before spending on inventory.
What it costs you, beyond the commission
1. You do not own the customer
This is the expensive one, and it is invisible on any invoice. A marketplace buyer is the marketplace's customer, not yours. You generally cannot export their details and message them next season. So a customer who loves your product costs you a commission every single time they buy. Someone who buys from you six times is six paid acquisitions.
On your own store, that same person is a phone number in your WhatsApp list. The second sale costs you nothing.
2. You compete on price, next to identical products
A marketplace listing sits in a grid beside sellers of the same item, sorted with price in plain view. That structure pushes margins down. Your own store is not a grid — it is your brand, your photos, your story, your bundles. Nobody is undercutting you in the next column.
3. You are building on rented land
Fees, category rules, search ranking and promotion requirements are set by the platform and can change. A seller whose entire income depends on one marketplace account has one point of failure they do not control.
4. No brand memory
Most marketplace buyers remember the marketplace, not you. Ask an average online shopper the name of the seller they bought from last month — they will not know.
The honest comparison
| Marketplace (Daraz) | Your own store | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting your first sale | Much easier — traffic exists | Harder — you must bring people |
| Commission per sale | Yes, varies by category | None on TijarahOnline |
| Who owns the customer | The marketplace | You |
| Cost of a repeat sale | Commission again, every time | Effectively zero |
| Price competition | Direct, side by side | None on your own page |
| Brand building | Limited | Fully yours |
| Rule changes | Out of your control | Your decision |
Marketplace commission rates and fees differ by category and change over time — check the current seller fee schedule for your own category.
The strategy that actually works
Not "quit the marketplace". That advice costs beginners real income. Do this instead:
- Keep selling on the marketplace for discovery, especially for products people search for by name.
- Open your own store in parallel. On a free plan this costs you nothing but an afternoon.
- Convert buyers into your customers. Put your store address on the packaging, on the invoice, on a thank-you card in the box.
- Give a reason to come direct. A better price, a bundle, or something only available on your store — you can afford it, because you are not paying commission.
- Collect WhatsApp numbers and message past buyers when new stock lands. This is the highest-return marketing available to a small Pakistani seller, and it is impossible on a marketplace.
- Watch the mix shift. Over months, more of your revenue moves to the channel where you keep the margin.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to sell on Daraz or on my own website?
They solve different problems. Daraz brings you buyers you could not reach alone, which is why it is a reasonable place to make your first sales. Your own store keeps the margin, the customer relationship and the brand. Most sellers who grow end up doing both: Daraz for discovery, their own store for repeat customers.
How much commission does Daraz charge?
Daraz charges a commission per sale that varies by product category, plus other fees that can apply such as payment and fulfilment charges. Rates change, so check Daraz's current seller fee schedule for your category rather than relying on any figure quoted elsewhere.
Do I get my customers' contact details from Daraz?
Marketplaces generally keep the customer relationship. You typically cannot export your buyers and market to them directly later, which means every repeat sale has to be bought again. On your own store, the customer is yours.
Can I run both at the same time?
Yes, and for most sellers that is the sensible answer. Keep listings on the marketplace for discovery, and drive repeat buyers to your own store where you keep the full margin. Put your store link on your packaging, your invoice and your WhatsApp.
What does it cost to run my own store?
On TijarahOnline you can start on a free plan with no commission on sales. Paid plans start at PKR 999 per month. The real cost of an own store is not the software, it is that you must bring your own traffic.
Open your own store alongside the marketplace
Free plan, no commission, no time limit. Keep selling where you sell today and start building the channel you actually own.
Create your free store