A Year of Selling on Wish: Lessons Learned and Red Flags

We've been on Wildberries for less than a year, give or take, and we've been selling here for roughly a year. It seems like since March 2024, we've only had one product listed that we actually produce ourselves - nylon straps. We've been researching this niche for about a year, doing analysis, crunching numbers, making spreadsheets, and figuring out logistics and the like. I've never understood people who don't know the niche, don't know the principles of sales, marketing, and logistics, and just think they can 'wing it' and expect to succeed. Like, everyone sells on Wildberries, so why not? And then they complain that they can't make any money... Well, that's not our story (my husband's and mine). We took a long time and a responsible approach to this, it's not our only source of income, and even after a year, it hasn't become a huge deal - it's just an additional sales channel, like the other marketplaces. But Wildberries is interesting in its own way, so I'll share our experience. Maybe I'll write about our other sales experience on marketplaces too. This review is about how to get started with sales from scratch, what skills you need, when to avoid this path, and whether it's possible to make good money here. It's my personal experience, with the challenges we faced. After carefully researching the niche, we came to the conclusion that there's a good chance we could become leaders in it, so we started our journey. Here's our product - plastic clips "Cleat for work".

I have to say, we pretty much do everything ourselves around here. Ninety percent of the work falls on our shoulders. We've tried delegating tasks, but it's just not working out. There are tons of companies and freelancers on Avito offering their services, mostly newbies who've done some video training and got a quick certification. We're no different, and to be honest, it's not too bad. We're currently the second-largest seller in this niche on the platform, which is a pretty impressive feat considering how quickly we've grown. We don't plan on staying in second place for long, though - we've got our sights set on the top spot for the future. For now, we're handling everything in-house, except for design work for our product cards and photography. We've hired professionals to handle those tasks. We also outsource fulfillment services (shipping and logistics) and have staff at our warehouse (packing, assembling orders, and handing them over to couriers). That's pretty much it. I've taken on the task of setting up our office, handling customer feedback, and marketing. As a seasoned copywriter with 14 years of experience and two higher education degrees in advertising and journalism, I know a thing or two about getting the job done right. I created a detailed brief for our photographer and designer, and they did an amazing job. I've worked with them before, so I knew they'd deliver. My husband has even more experience in sales, with a background in the construction industry. He's a whiz with numbers and knows his way around spreadsheets, which is a huge help when it comes to tracking our progress and making informed decisions.

We've got a good handle on the product, but marketplaces were a whole new ball game for us. We had to learn everything from scratch. There were plenty of fines and lost funds due to mismanagement, but that's all part of the experience. About six months in, we managed to snag the second spot in terms of sales volume. At the moment, we've only got one competitor who started way ahead of us, and they definitely deserve some credit. We're all about fair competition and respecting others' achievements. Here's what the product ranking looks like in this category today:

We've learned a thing or two about what it takes to succeed on Wildberries. First and foremost, you need to be willing to put in the time and effort to research your niche and understand the market. This means doing your analysis, crunching numbers, and making spreadsheets. It's not just about throwing a product up on the platform and hoping for the best. You need to be a thoughtful and rational person, willing to take the time to learn and adapt. And don't even get me started on the importance of having a solid plan in place. We've seen too many sellers come and go, thinking they can just 'wing it' and expect to succeed. It's not that simple.

Another key takeaway is the importance of having a good handle on your finances. You need to be able to track your progress and make informed decisions about your business. This means having a solid understanding of your costs, including product costs, logistics, marketing, taxes, and all that. If you don't properly analyze everything from start to finish, you can end up working at a loss. And let me tell you, it's not fun trying to make up for lost revenue.

We've also learned the importance of having a good team behind us. We've tried delegating tasks, but it's just not working out. We've had to learn to do everything ourselves, from design work to photography to fulfillment services. It's not easy, but it's necessary if you want to succeed on Wildberries.

Of course, there are also some downsides to selling on Wildberries. For one thing, the platform can be pretty unforgiving. If you make a mistake, you can end up losing a lot of money. And don't even get me started on the customer support. It's slow, and you're just talking to bots who can't actually help you. There's no live chat, and it's clear they're trying to cut costs on staff and operators. Everywhere you look, it's just bots that don't add any value.

Another downside is the rating system for products. Simply listing your product on the platform is no longer enough to make it sell well. You need to be a consistent and daily participant in all sales and processes, always on top of things and never dropping the ball. And don't even get me started on the reviews. Customers can just 'click' a one or two without even thinking about it, let's say because the pickup point wasn't working, and even add a photo that could've been a clear hint to Wildberries that the review was sent to the wrong place. But since the review processing system is handled by the most basic AI (which still can't do anything better than humans!), the company doesn't bat an eyelid about it. I've left over a hundred complaints and appeals about how our rating could be dropping due to reviews that aren't even addressed to us, and it's crystal clear - but nothing gets done. It's like banging your head against a metal door and asking to be let in during a prohibited break.

And it's one-way traffic - customers can leave us a fake, ordered, or unrelated review that has nothing to do with the product, insult us, or write a lie, while the seller can't respond. My usual replies to authors who leave such reviews often get rejected, and I'm unable to prove anything or get any help. When I reach out to support, they just write that they're sorry, but the automated system is the one that decides, and I think even their responses are written by bots. They're cutting costs to the max by exploiting human nerves.

Wildberries takes around three weeks to process payouts for sold items. So, if you've sold something today, you'll only get paid in two weeks. That makes sense, given the law allows customers to return items in good condition within two weeks if they change their minds. But there's a catch. According to their policy, payouts should be processed within a week from Monday to Monday after you submit your payout request. In practice, they usually send the funds to your account and make them available for withdrawal between 1-2 am on Monday, not exactly on the dot at 00:00. However, I've never seen them process payouts on the same day or the next day. They always take a week, which is the absolute last moment. And during that week, they just use your money, claiming it's all official and they'll pay you within 1-7 days. By the time seven days have passed, they finally process the payout. This is something to consider when working with contractors and planning your expenses.

I've gotta say, it's not a total disaster. You can make some money here, and some people even rake it in. But for me, there are way too many downsides. We work with all sorts of marketplaces, but for some reason, Wildberries is always the one that gives us the most headaches, and the sales just aren't there. If you dig in and do your research, I'd say it's possible to get some decent results from scratch, even without any fancy bloggers or gurus. But you gotta do it smart, with some experience, and a clear plan, not just jumping in blind.

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