A consignment operation is a business arrangement in which one party (the consignor) delivers goods or products to another party (the consignee) for the purpose of selling them. The consignor retains ownership of the goods until they are sold, at which point they receive payment from the consignee minus a previously agreed-upon commission or fee.
In a consignment operation, the consignee acts as an agent for the consignor and is responsible for displaying the products, marketing them, and handling sales transactions. The consignee typically takes a percentage of the sale as commission, while the consignor bears the risk of loss or damage to the goods until they are sold.
Consignment operations are common in retail businesses, where a store may sell goods on consignment from various suppliers or artists. They can also be used in other industries, such as the art world, where galleries may sell works on consignment from artists.