Storenvy Review

A full review of the social marketplace and store-builder Storenvy.

Mark Hammersley

Mark Hammersley

Last updated 29o July 2020


Storenvy

3.6  Stackupp rating


Pricing from

$ 14.99 / month

Free Plan?

Yes


Best for

smaller, independent retailers that want access to an active marketplace along with the freedom to design their own store.

Storenvy describes itself as a “social marketplace”. Shoppers can like listings, add items to “collections”, and message sellers directly. As an option for online retailers, Storenvy sits between marketplace-only platforms like eBay and self-managed solutions like Shopify and Magento.

One of the great things about Storenvy is that it allows users to build their own fully-customized store, with an array of more advanced features, that can be hosted on a unique domain. This is in conjunction with listings on the main marketplace.

Pricing is also very reasonable, with a forever-free plan and relatively low monthly costs for premium packages.

Is Storenvy right for you?

you’re a small or medium independent retailer (less than 5000 listings) looking for an easy-to-use solution that will provide access to an established marketplace.

Advantages

  • Access to a large social marketplace.
  • A fully independent store.
  • Very cost-effective.

Drawbacks

  • High fees for items listed on the marketplace.
  • Limited functionality when compared to advanced solutions like Shopify and Magento.
  • Marketplace isn’t as large as alternatives like Etsy and eBay.

Ease of Use

Rated 4/5 for Ease of Use

Storenvy is one of the easiest-to-use solutions we’ve reviewed. People with little design and technical experience will find it particularly appealing. It’s a browser-based solution and a central dashboard provides access to various areas for managing store operations, including orders, marketing, marketplace listings, storefront design, and so on. The website builder - which allows for limited CSS and HTML changes - is also very intuitive.

The initial set-up can be a little complicated, but overall we found that managing day-to-day tasks was straightforward.

What customers are saying...

"Storenvy is super customizable and I really appreciate that. Etsy is bigger and a bit more well known, though."
"I've been on Storenvy for awhile now and it's pretty simple."
"I like Storenvy! It's free to make a store and list stuff, but they take a processing fee."

Design Templates

Rated 3.5/5 for Design

Storenvy has a website builder along with an HTML and CSS editor. Users with coding experience can make virtually any changes they want. Non-technical users, on the other hand, have more limited control over their storefront. Using only the site-builder, it’s possible to change colors, text, banners, background images, and certain parts of the layout. Retailers have access to a range of themes, some of which have an extra charge (usually around thirty dollars). It’s also possible to purchase a custom domain name for your store.

While the design features aren’t out of this world, they’re very easy to use and among the best we’ve seen for an independent store that’s coupled with a third-party marketplace.

Storenvy Examples

  • Ohlala-harajuku
    Ohlala-harajuku
Item 1 of 3

How much does Storenvy cost?

Rated 4/5 for Pricing

Storenvy provides very good value for money, especially when compared to other ecommerce platforms, which can run up to hundreds of dollars.

There are three plans available. “Hobbyist” is free and allows for up to 1000 listings. “Plus” is $14.99/month and has additional features like discounts. “Pro” is $29.99/month and includes automation tools.

Payments are handled via either Stripe or Paypal, and associated fees apply. There are no additional fees for products sold through your store. If an item is sold via a listing on the marketplace, you will be charged 15% of the final sale price (which includes shipping).

Retailers can also opt in to the “Managed Marketing” scheme. If you decide to do this, Storenvy will advertise products on your behalf on sites like Facebook and Google, taking 25% of each sale.

Help and Support

Rated 3/5 for Help and Support

Customer service for sellers is a bit of a mixed bag on Storenvy. Technical support is via email or the contact form. There is no phone or live-chat assistance. What’s more, it can take up to twenty-four hours to receive a response. There are no premium support packages on the paid plans.

Reviews online of individuals who have interacted with the support team are mixed, with many citing poor experiences. That said, it’s important to remember that the majority of online reviews are from customers (not fellow sellers) and independent store-owners are often responsible for handling issues, so Storenvy isn’t always to blame.

Retailers also have access to extensive documentation and a Facebook community group.

The Bottom Line

We think that Storenvy is one of the best solutions available to small independent sellers. It combines all the benefits of a fully independent store with access to an active marketplace. What’s more, additional services like “Managed Marketing” (Storenvy will market your products through third-party sites like Facebook) can be immensely useful to retailers without much advertising experience. It also has an excellent free plan and a fair, transparent pricing structure.

Larger retailers will find it insufficient for their needs and a more feature-rich platform like Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, etc. will be preferable. That said, there are still opportunities for these retailers to take advantage of the marketplace.

Stackupp is reader supported. If you buy through links on our site we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Reviews


3.8  Stackupp rating


3.8  Stackupp rating


4.3  Stackupp rating

stackupp.com © 2021 | Privacy Policy