Fone Central started small in 2009, selling refurbished phones and electronics from London.

Today, the business runs multiple stores across several online marketplaces, offers its own DYZI product line and is growing its team to keep pace with demand.

The growth shows how e-commerce has changed: sellers who get their operations right can jump on new opportunities. Sellers who don’t fall behind.

For Fone Central, that readiness came from Linnworks — and the payoff arrived when global marketplace Temu opened its doors to UK sellers.

Manual chaos and a costly wake-up call

As Fone Central expanded to multiple online marketplaces, keeping track of inventory across platforms quickly became a nightmare.

“Stock control was a constant headache,” said Fone Central founder Yasin Chanawala. “When something sold out on one platform, we had to manually update quantities everywhere else. It was slow, messy, and risky.”

Then in 2012, a minor customer complaint on one marketplace led to a temporary suspension that cut off nearly 40% of revenue overnight. The business had no direct line to resolve the issue, only automated replies and impersonal systems.

“It was a wake-up call,” Yasin said. “We realised we couldn’t put all our eggs in one basket. Diversification wasn’t just an option; it was a necessity.”

Building operational backbone with Linnworks

To fix the problem and prepare for multi-channel expansion, Fone Central turned to Linnworks. The software automatically pulls together listings, orders and operations into a single dashboard. With Linnworks in place, inventory updates became automatic and orders flowed into one view, speeding up shipping and reducing errors.

“After talking to other sellers, Linnworks stood out as the most full-featured, cost-effective solution for small businesses. Most importantly, it freed up time and headspace. Instead of handling admin, we could focus on growth: sourcing more inventory, improving strategy and expanding into new markets.”
— Yasin Chanawala, Founder, Fone Central

Unlocking new revenue with Temu

That operational foundation proved critical in 2024, when Temu began signing up UK-based sellers. With Linnworks already managing their operations across channels, Fone Central was ready to move quickly.

The company launched two stores on Temu: one for refurbished electronics and another for DYZI’s product line.

“The velocity of sales on Temu was unlike anything we’d seen in years,” Yasin said. “We sold more than 10 high-value, refurbished phones in just three days, something that caught us completely off guard. Temu’s ability to create demand is absolutely incredible.”

“Because Linnworks synced operations across all channels, adding Temu to the mix required no extra work or system changes.”
— Yasin Chanawala, Founder, Fone Central

Beyond the UK, Temu now supports local sellers in more than a dozen markets, including the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Korea and Australia. In Europe, Temu expects up to 80% of its sales to be both sourced and shipped locally.

Beyond demand, what impressed Yasin most was Temu’s seller support. “I was able to reach dedicated account managers and get any issues resolved quickly,” he said. “The support was both helpful and personal, which in my experience is rare in e-commerce.”

Scaling for growth

The combination of Linnworks’ operational efficiency and Temu’s sales velocity has transformed Fone Central’s path forward.

The company is now hiring dedicated staff to handle listings, customer service and logistics. Yasin expects Temu to contribute 20% of the company’s total revenue within six months.

“For sellers looking to grow, Temu isn’t just an option; it’s the smartest way to sell.” said Yasin.

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