Unit economics on Yandex Market follows the same logic as on any other marketplace: how much money is left from one unit sold after all costs. But the cost mix on Yandex Market is its own — with its own fulfillment models, sales boost and price index. Here is what per-unit economics on Yandex Market consists of and where sellers most often get it wrong.
The unit economics formula
The base formula is the same everywhere:
Per-unit profit = selling price − marketplace charges − logistics − promotion − cost of goods − taxes.
How the calculation works in general terms — with a working template and the order of the line items — is covered in the guide on SKU unit economics. Here we look at what is specific to Yandex Market inside that formula.
Marketplace charges: what goes into the Yandex Market line
- Card commission. The percentage depends on the product category — check your category against the current rate card in your seller account. A full breakdown of the line items is in the guide on Yandex Market commissions and rates.
- Services by fulfillment model. FBY (Yandex Market warehouse), FBS (your warehouse, Yandex Market delivery), DBS (everything on your side) and Express — each model has its own set of services and rates: inbound acceptance, storage, delivery, returns handling. Choosing the model shifts unit economics more than any other line — details on FBY supplies are in a separate guide.
- Payment processing. A separate rate line that often gets left out of the calculation.
Promotion: boost and promos
Sales boost on Yandex Market is charged as a percentage of the price of the item sold — you set the rate yourself. That suits unit economics well: boost spend is predictable and drops straight into the promotion line. How to pick the rate is in the guide on sales boost on Yandex Market.
Promos and "green prices". Taking part in a promo lowers the selling price — and with it the base of the whole formula. Before entering a promo, rerun unit economics at the promo price: if the profit line goes negative, the promo works for turnover, not for you.
Yandex Market specifics to build into the calculation
- Price index. Yandex Market compares your price with prices on other platforms and lowers the visibility of overpriced items. That ties your hands: raising the price "on Yandex Market only" to rescue unit economics is rarely possible without losing impressions.
- Rating and store quality index. Late shipments and cancellations hit the quality index, and with it visibility and sales. In unit economics this is an indirect line: logistics failures cost money beyond the fines — more in the guide on the quality index.
- Returns and uncollected orders. Returns handling is a paid service, and in try-on categories the share of uncollected orders changes the economics noticeably. Budget returns at the actual rate of your category, not at zero.
Calculation order: a checklist
- Fix the per-unit cost of goods including delivery to the warehouse.
- Choose the model (FBY / FBS / DBS / Express) and list every marketplace service for your category from the seller account.
- Add the category commission and payment processing.
- Budget promotion: the boost rate plus planned promos at the promo price.
- Add returns at the real rate for your category.
- Calculate per-unit profit and the break-even point — the minimum price you must never sell below.
Unit economics on Yandex Market wants recalculating often: the platform updates rates and terms, and the price index limits your room to manoeuvre. Do the math not once at launch, but before every promo and every change of fulfillment model.
