The verdict in three sentences
A Manchester brand selling silk scarves, pocket squares and ties to consumers, museum and gallery shops and corporate gift buyers should budget 10,000 to 35,000 GBP for its online store as a 2026 market ballpark. The 14 questions below let you sort agencies in a single meeting, because a weak answer on personalisation or EU shipping costs more than a high quote. With 25 to 45% of orders going abroad, customs and VAT handling for EU customers has to be settled before you sign.
Blocks 1 to 3: catalogue, imagery and corporate orders
Silk sells on imagery: 150 to 500 products, each with 4 to 8 high resolution photos, a weave close up and a worn shot. Corporate gift orders follow a different path entirely: woven or printed logos, minimum quantities and proof approval before production. Museum shops want wholesale accounts with their own prices and easy reorders.
| No. | Question to ask | Good answer | Bad answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | How do you show 6 high resolution photos without slowing the page? | modern image formats, lazy loading, mobile page under 2.5 seconds | "we compress the photos a bit" |
| 2 | How do you handle 150 to 500 products with colourways? | structured variants, file import, an example delivered | manual entry product by product |
| 3 | Can our team edit collection pages and brand story? | editable collection pages, no developer needed | pages only the agency can change |
| 4 | How does a personalised corporate order with logo work? | brief form, logo upload, quote then online proof approval | "the client emails us" |
| 5 | What does that personalisation module cost? | 1,800 to 5,000 GBP with written scope | lump sum with no breakdown |
| 6 | How do museum shop wholesale accounts work? | trade accounts, dedicated prices, minimum order | "we'll give them a discount code" |
| 7 | Can trade buyers reorder in two clicks? | order history and one screen reorder | no customer history |
Blocks 4 and 5: EU shipping, maintenance and ownership
Since the UK left the EU, parcels to EU consumers require customs declarations, and VAT on low value consignments is often collected through the EU Import One Stop Shop (IOSS). Check HMRC and EU Commission guidance and your accountant before choosing a setup. Customers who face surprise import charges at the door rarely order twice.
| No. | Question to ask | Good answer | Bad answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | How are VAT and duties handled for a customer in Germany? | duties shown at checkout or IOSS setup, validated with your accountant | "the courier sorts it out" |
| 9 | Are customs documents generated automatically? | commercial invoice and codes produced per order | manual paperwork per parcel |
| 10 | Can we sell in EUR as well as GBP? | multi currency pricing with rounding rules | live conversion with odd prices |
| 11 | What does maintenance include and cost? | 180 to 700 GBP a month with stated response times | "we'll help if something breaks" |
| 12 | Who owns the code, photos and domain? | the brand, in writing | unclear, or the agency's licence |
| 13 | How do we leave if we change agency? | full export within 5 business days, no fee | exit fee or partial export |
| 14 | What results will you report after 6 months? | average order value, conversion, EU share, corporate enquiries | "visitor numbers" |
Budget ballparks
| Item | 2026 market ballpark |
|---|---|
| Store with 150 products | 10,000 to 18,000 GBP |
| Store with 500 products and trade accounts | 20,000 to 35,000 GBP |
| Corporate personalisation module | 1,800 to 5,000 GBP |
| Product photography, per product | 35 to 100 GBP |
| EU shipping and customs setup | 1,500 to 4,000 GBP |
| Monthly maintenance | 180 to 700 GBP |
As a nearshore benchmark, Kolonell's prices: Premium e-commerce at 3,050 to 5,340 EUR (2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA), the 50 to 500 product option at 760 EUR, the client area at 230 EUR, 110 EUR per extra language and maintenance from 53 to 183 EUR a month. Also check UK GDPR terms for any agency handling customer data from outside the UK.
Mini case study
Illustrative example, fictional company: Olivia, managing director of a Manchester silk accessories brand, turns over 540,000 GBP with 30% going to the EU and beyond. She receives 3 quotes: 12,000, 23,000 and 34,000 GBP. The cheapest fails questions 4, 8 and 13, and adding personalisation and EU customs later would cost around 7,500 GBP. The 23,000 GBP quote answers 13 of 14 correctly. If the store lifts corporate gift orders from 35 to 50 a year at an average of 1,600 GBP, that adds 24,000 GBP in yearly revenue, roughly the price of the project.
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FAQ
Do museum shops need a separate store?
No. Trade accounts with dedicated prices on the same store work up to about 200 stockists, which avoids paying maintenance twice at 180 to 700 GBP a month.
How much does logo personalisation cost?
Plan for 1,800 to 5,000 GBP, depending on whether clients just upload a logo or approve a proof online. Online proofing cuts back and forth from 3 rounds to 1 in our illustrative cases.
How do we check the agency's EU shipping answers?
Ask for a live demo with one basket shipped to Germany and one to Ireland. Then have your accountant review the setup, which takes 1 to 2 hours.
How long does launch take?
As a 2026 estimate, 8 to 14 weeks depending on product count and personalisation. Photographing 300 products can take 3 weeks on its own.
Should we rule out the cheapest agency?
Not if it answers the 14 questions well. The risk is a low quote missing 2 or 3 modules, which often ends up 30 to 50% more expensive.
Let's scope your project. Send us your product count, EU share and personalisation needs, and we will price the store, budget and timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
