AN ENTREPRENEUR has launched an online marketplace which he says could take on the likes of Amazon.

Cas Paton, of Bournemouth, is managing director of OnBuy, which he says will offer thousands of product lines across every retail category.

The site is due for launch to consumers early next year and is already open for sellers to register.

Mr Paton said: “OnBuy has arrived and we are ready to take on Amazon and other online marketplaces.

“For too long sellers have had a raw deal, with their profit margins squeezed by having to pay commission on every product they sell.

“OnBuy is different – there are no selling fees. We want to work with sellers, not against them or in competition with them. We are here to help them grow their business and customer base.”

The site will run on a subscription model, with sellers paying £49 a month. Mr Paton said this would be cheaper per sale than Amazon or eBay for most sellers.

The site is a trading platform and not a retailer itself, so will not compete with its own marketplace sellers.

Mr Paton said: “Our research tells us that customers and sellers don’t like some aspects of Amazon but so far they feel there has not been a credible alternative. Now there is one.

“There are key benefits to signing up now and not waiting, including getting early exposure and gaining market share. Sellers will be building a relationship with OnBuy and will be directly involved in the huge marketing push.

“The benefits are not just for sellers and customers, but for the economy as a whole. As a British company, OnBuy pays its taxes in the UK and is passionate about supporting the British economy.

“We’re very excited to be at this crucial stage in the development of a marketplace which we believe will shake up online shopping and offer both sellers and shoppers the deals they deserve.”

Amazon last year began booking its sales through the UK, meaning it would be taxed by HMRC, after 11 years of its internet transactions being logged in Luxembourg.

The move followed then-chancellor Geoge Osborne’s diverted profits tax, which imposed 25 per cent tax on groups deemed to be artificially moving its profits overseas.