News
Cartlow Rolls Out Subscription Model For GCC Retail Platform
Parent company Basatne is scrapping per-sale commissions, betting a flat subscription will pull more merchants into the Gulf’s re-commerce market.
Tech and logistics platform Basatne has launched a subscription-based marketplace through its consumer brand Cartlow, dropping the per-transaction commissions that define most regional platforms. It is a direct pitch to sellers pressed by fees that can reach 20% and to a GCC retail sector expected to hit USD 390 billion. The company is positioning the model as a structural reset rather than a pricing tweak.
The offer is straightforward: a monthly subscription instead of variable cuts on each sale. Basatne argues that this helps merchants retain more value, widen product ranges, and price competitively across refurbished, pre-owned, and new goods. For a region where many SMEs still struggle with digital retail onboarding costs, a predictable fee structure may lower the threshold to participate.
Cartlow is built on Basatne’s proprietary technology stack spanning trade-in, diagnostics, repair, refurbishment, and resale. That stack links individual consumers with businesses, wholesalers, and resellers along the full product lifecycle. The company says the system is built to recirculate millions of products annually and prevent more than 300,000 tons of potential e-waste from reaching landfill.
“Our goal is to make sustainability scalable, not just aspirational,” said Mohammad Sleiman, CEO of Basatne MENA. “With this subscription model, we’re removing cost barriers and creating an ecosystem where businesses thrive and products live longer”.
Also Read: RØDE Shrinks Its All-In-One Studio Console With RØDECaster Video S
Basatne’s wider operations span sustainable electronics distribution, a global trading platform, AI-driven analytics and diagnostics, integrated subscription programs, and embedded fintech tools. Cartlow now anchors the consumer side of that network. The group says the consolidation supports its international expansion play, with the Gulf acting as a proving ground for circular retail models.
Re-commerce in the GCC still trails established markets in Europe and Asia, but demand has risen as device prices climb and environmental expectations grow. By eliminating variable fees, Basatne is betting more merchants will list refurbished and pre-loved stock — and that a deeper pool of inventory will make the channel a mainstream retail path rather than a niche alternative.