Glossary

The vocabulary of UK consignment, defined plainly.

Resale terminology drifts between shops, apps, and countries. These are the working definitions we use across ConsignEase.

People and relationships

The people side of consignment carries the most overloaded terms, especially where US software vocabulary leaks into UK shops.

Consignor (or seller): the person who owns an item and leaves it with the store to sell on their behalf.
Consignee: the store selling the item. Rarely said aloud, common in agreements.
Dress agency: a UK store format, typically womenswear, selling on behalf of private clients — consignment by another name.
Consignment agreement: the written terms between store and seller: split, duration, markdowns, returns, and payout method.

Item-level terms matter because consignment stock is one-of-one: each item carries its own terms and history.

Intake: the process of receiving an item — recording owner, condition, terms, and price.
Reserve (or reserve price): the minimum the item may sell for without going back to the seller.
Markdown window: the agreed point after which unsold items can be discounted.
Return-to-owner date: when unsold items must be collected or, by agreement, donated.

The money vocabulary is where disputes start, so precision pays.

Split (or commission split): the agreed percentage division of the sale price between seller and store.
Deduction: an agreed charge subtracted from the seller share, like cleaning or repair.
Seller balance: what the store currently owes a seller for sold items, net of deductions.
Payout batch: a scheduled run that pays multiple sellers at once, with statements.
Statement: the document showing a seller what sold, the split, deductions, and the amount paid.

Operational terms used across ConsignEase and this site.

Lifecycle: the item's journey — intake, review, list, sell, split, payout.
Channel: where the item is offered — store floor, Shopify, or a storefront.
Source of truth: the single system holding the authoritative record. Everything else syncs from it.
Audit trail: the timestamped history of who changed what, kept for disputes and handovers.

Keep reading

Payouts and commissions

The money terms in action.

Resale operations

The workflow behind the words.

Dress agencies

The UK format, supported properly.

Shopify consignment

Channel vocabulary, applied.

Pilot access

Start with one workflow. Get founder-led onboarding. Shape the product around real store operations before public launch.