Wholesale & retail price calculator
From your cost per piece to a wholesale price for shops and a retail price for customers, then what actually reaches you through wholesale, consignment or selling direct.
Retail price
$36.00
Wholesale × 2
- Wholesale price
- $18.00
- Shop's margin
- 50%
| Channel | You receive | Your profit | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale to a shop | $18.00 | $9.00 | 50% |
| Consignment in a shop | $21.60 | $12.60 | 58% |
| Direct to the customer | $36.00 | $27.00 | 75% |
Consignment pays you $3.60 more per item than wholesale, but only once it sells, and unsold stock comes back.
Educational estimates, not financial advice. Terms between makers and shops vary: agree them in writing.
Keystone, multipliers and consignment
Wholesale is what a shop pays you; retail is what its customer pays. Keystone pricing doubles the wholesale price, which leaves the shop a 50% margin for rent, staff and the stock that never sells. Some shops work to a higher multiplier, so ask the ones you approach which they use.
Wholesale = cost × wholesale multiplier
Retail = wholesale × retail multiplier
Consignment payout = retail × your share
A price ending nudges the shop's real multiplier: rounding $36.00 up to $36.99 raises its margin slightly, and the result shows the multiplier after rounding.
Consignment works differently. The shop takes your pieces without paying, and when one sells you receive the agreed share of the retail price. The table shows what reaches you per item through each channel. Consignment can pay more per piece than wholesale, but you are paid only after a sale and you carry the risk of unsold or damaged stock.
Sources
- Shopify, What Is Keystone Pricing?: retail price = wholesale cost × 2.
- Kate Gatski and Kate Shoup, Starting an Etsy Business For Dummies Cheat Sheet: wholesale = (materials + labor + overhead) × 2.
Questions
What consignment split should I expect?
It varies from shop to shop and is set in your consignment agreement, so enter the share you are offered. Check the agreement for who pays for loss or damage, how long pieces stay, and when you are paid.
Should my own price match the shop's?
As a rule, yes. If you sell the same piece for less on your own website or stall, a shop has little reason to stock it, and many wholesale buyers ask you not to.
Is double my cost enough for wholesale?
Only if your cost already includes your labour and overheads. If it covers materials alone, doubling it rarely pays for your time. Start from a full cost and the wholesale multiplier becomes your profit.