Circular

What is Circular

Circular is a software platform designed specifically for the consignment and resale industry. Its main purpose is to simplify and automate the complex processes of managing inventory, pricing items, and handling relationships with sellers. The software uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to speed up tasks like item registration and price setting, which traditionally take a lot of time. Circular provides a complete solution for resale businesses, from the moment an item is dropped off by a seller to when it is sold and the seller is paid. The company aims to support the growth of circular retail by providing powerful tools that are easy to use for businesses of all sizes.

Circular Features

Circular offers a range of features built to manage resale operations effectively.

• AI Pricing Assistant: This feature provides data-backed price recommendations for each item. It analyzes your sales data to suggest prices that help items sell quickly and for a good value, removing guesswork.
• Fast Item Registration: Using AI image recognition, the software automates data capture and classification. This reduces the time it takes to list a new item from minutes to just seconds.
• Personalized Seller Portal: Circular provides a branded portal for your sellers. Through this portal, sellers can book drop-off appointments, track the status of their items, and view their earnings and payouts. This self-service tool saves time on administrative tasks and communication.
• Consignment Management: The system tracks every item from drop-off to final sale, return, or donation. It automatically calculates the revenue split between the store and the seller, ensuring accurate and timely payouts.
• Reporting and Analytics: A real-time dashboard gives you insights into your business performance. You can track key metrics like sales, average prices, sell-through rates, and identify your best-selling brands, categories, and top sellers.
• POS & eCommerce Integrations: Circular connects with popular Point of Sale (POS) systems and e-commerce platforms, allowing you to synchronize your inventory and sales across both physical and online stores.

Circular Pricing Plans

Circular uses a flexible, pay-as-you-go pricing model instead of fixed monthly subscriptions. The fee is calculated as a percentage of your total monthly sales. This model is designed to scale with your business. As your monthly sales volume increases, the percentage rate you pay decreases. This structure means you only pay when you are making sales, which is helpful for businesses with fluctuating revenue. The plan includes unlimited products, stores, and access to all features, including the AI tools and seller portal.

Circular Free Plan

Circular offers a very generous free plan. Businesses that generate less than $1,000 in monthly sales can use the platform completely free of charge. The free plan is not a trial and includes full access to all of Circular's features, such as unlimited product listings, AI pricing, the seller portal, and integrations. This makes it an excellent option for new or small resale businesses to get started without any initial software costs.

How to use Circular

Getting started with Circular is a straightforward process designed to be quick.

1. Sign Up: Create an account on the Circular website. The setup process is no-code and takes only a few minutes.
2. Configure Your Store: Set up your store profile, including your brand, seller commission rates, and payout policies.
3. Integrate Your Tools: Connect Circular to your existing POS system, like Zettle, or your Shopify store to sync inventory and sales data.
4. Register Items: When a seller brings in items, use the fast item registration feature. Take a photo, and the AI will help fill in the product details.
5. Set Prices: Use the AI Pricing Assistant to get price recommendations based on your store's data.
6. Manage Sellers: Invite your sellers to the branded Seller Portal. They can then book their own drop-off appointments and track their items' progress online.
7. Track Sales and Payouts: As items sell, Circular automatically tracks sales and calculates the correct payout for each seller. You can manage payouts directly through the platform.
8. Analyze Performance: Use the dashboard to monitor your business health and make informed decisions.

Pros and Cons of Circular

Pros:

• Pay-as-you-go pricing: No fixed monthly fees, making it low-risk for new or small businesses.
• Free for low sales volume: Completely free for businesses making under $1,000 per month.
• AI-powered automation: Features like AI pricing and item registration save significant time.
• Integrated Seller Portal: Improves seller experience and reduces administrative work.
• Easy to set up: No-code setup allows you to get started in minutes.

Cons:

• Revenue-based pricing: For businesses with very high profit margins, a percentage-based fee might become more expensive than a fixed subscription.
• Limited POS integrations: While it integrates with key systems, the list of direct integrations is not extensive.
• Niche focus: The software is highly specialized for consignment and resale, making it unsuitable for general retail businesses.

Circular integrations

Circular integrates with essential tools for retail and e-commerce to create a connected system.

• Zettle and Extenda: These POS integrations allow you to manage in-store sales. When an item is sold in your physical store, the inventory is automatically updated in Circular.
• Shopify: The Shopify integration lets you sell your consignment items online. It syncs product information, inventory levels, and sales between your Shopify store and Circular, preventing double-selling.

Circular Alternatives

• ConsignCloud: A comprehensive consignment software with features for inventory management, point of sale, and online sales. It is known for its robust feature set but typically follows a traditional monthly subscription model.
• Ricochet: This is a POS and inventory management software built for consignment, antique, and vendor malls. It offers strong POS capabilities and is a good alternative for stores focused on in-person sales.
• SimpleConsign: A web-based consignment software that offers inventory management, POS, and online store integration. It is known for its user-friendly interface and has been in the market for a long time.

Circular API

Circular does not publicly list a developer API on its website. The platform is designed to be a complete solution with key integrations. For businesses with custom needs or those wanting to build a custom integration, it is recommended to contact the Circular support or sales team to inquire about potential API access or partnership opportunities.

Circular Affiliate program

There is no information available on the Circular website about a formal affiliate or referral program. However, the company mentions building an 'Ecosystem' and partnering with other companies. If you are interested in promoting Circular or partnering with them, the best approach is to contact their team directly through their website to discuss potential collaboration opportunities.