Case study
Luxe Cheshire: Consignmate
From spreadsheet chaos to a single operating system for inventory, sellers, and commissions.
- Systems
70%
Time savings
~90%
Error reduction
+90 hrs/mo
Team capacity
The business
Luxe Cheshire Ltd is a UK-based designer resale business specialising in second-hand designer goods and vintage items. The business manages hundreds of client-sellers, thousands of inventory items, and complex commission calculations including VAT. Luxe Cheshire calls the system Belscar built for them Consignmate. It now runs the operational side of their global business, connected to Xero, Google Search Console, Google Merchant Center, Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram and Klaviyo.
The problem: spreadsheet chaos
Operations depended on multiple disconnected spreadsheets, manual SKU work, and institutional knowledge for commissions.
- Multiple disconnected spreadsheets: sales, inventory, and client details—none talking to each other
- Manual tracking from intake through sale to client payment
- SKU generation by hand, with inevitable errors
- Commission calculations, VAT rates, and client-specific terms held in people's heads
- Version confusion over which file was current
- Key-person dependency: when the person who 'knew the system' was unavailable, work slowed or stopped
What we did
Approach
We mapped the real workflow, removed friction points, designed clean system architecture, built a purpose-specific application, and embedded it into day-to-day operations.
- 1
Week 1: Map & design
Mapped the full workflow from client onboarding through item sale to payment; identified friction (manual SKUs, disconnected data, commission complexity); designed database schema and architecture.
- 2
Weeks 2–3: Build & test
Web app with role-based access; automated SKU generation; commission engine with payment-method rates and VAT; real-time dashboard (daily / monthly / yearly); tested with live exports from spreadsheets.
- 3
Week 4: Deploy & adopt
Migrated historical data; trained the team; went live with spreadsheets retired.
Outcomes
Results
Operational impact
- ·Administrative time cut by about 70%: about 2 hours per person per day returned to productive work
- ·Revenue leakage reduced: fewer commission errors and missed items
- ·Payment disputes reduced: complete audit trail for transactions
- ·Key-person risk reduced: operations less dependent on single individuals
Business intelligence
- ·Real-time dashboard for sales, inventory, and client payments
- ·Performance analysis: top sellers, categories, seasonal patterns
- ·Faster decisions from current data instead of last week's spreadsheet
Client feedback
“We wouldn't operate without it now. It's changed everything. Never take it away.”
“Everything I need is just there. It saves us hours every week, and we've stopped arguing about which version of the spreadsheet is right.”
Outcomes represent a specific implementation; your results will depend on scope and adoption.