A RAPIDLY-growing online marketplace has generated nearly £2.75million in sales in a single record-breaking week.

Poole-based OnBuy.com has benefited from the same drive to digital platforms that has boosted giants such as Amazon and eBay during lockdown.

The four-year-old marketplace recorded 1.5million users between November 1-8, with users up by 600 per cent on the same period last year and sales up 837 per cent.

Founder and chief executive Cas Paton said: “Last week was a major record-breaking week for OnBuy and we aren’t seeing any signs of this incredible growth slowing.

“We’re catering for an audience that is panicking about what Christmas might look like this year and stocking up early, as well as one that is more switched on to shopping ethically.

“Unlike other online marketplaces, OnBuy doesn’t compete with its sellers, so the sales boom we’ve seen last week is translating directly into profits for the small and medium sized businesses which sell with us.

“I started OnBuy with the vision that one day soon, the e-commerce monopoly would be broken, allowing for a fairer and more level playing field for all online sellers, and last week’s data demonstrates that we’re getting there.”

OnBuy offers a platform for thousands of retailers, selling in categories such as electricals, beauty, home and garden, toys and baby supplies. It does not compete with its retailers by selling itself.

The platform is expecting another boost from the Black Friday sales period, with non-essential shops still closed, and from the following Cyber Monday events.

Mr Paton said: “Given that stores will still be shut over this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend, I am expecting that this year will be immense for online retailers and that a lot of small businesses will now be scrambling to get their products online before this all-important weekend.

“Not only did we see a huge uplift in sales last week, but we also onboarded a record number of 500 retailers in the past month, resulting in a 10 per cent increase to our seller base.”

OnBuy is set to launch in 42 countries next month as part of a plan to become a global marketplace operating in more than 140 countries by 2023.

These records come as OnBuy prepares to launch into 42 countries next month as part of its plan to become the world’s first truly global marketplace, operating in over 140 countries by 2023. The move follows a £5m investment.

The company is expecting to recruit 22 staff by the end of the year, a 40 per cent increase.