posted on June 23, 2001 06:02:32 PM
the joke is on all of us dealers who rush to open a store,where is the traffic?
where is the front entrance??
where is the search engine to search across shops?
where is the category list ?
where is everyone??
did somebody said june 25th?that will be mnday.the slowest day of the week??
posted on June 24, 2001 04:57:56 AM
who said we are not supposed to criticise service which is free?
there is no free service,somewhere somehow we are paying for it??
posted on June 24, 2001 06:48:38 AM
hwahwahwa: yep... folks are paying for it, on their BACKS - again!
Let's see....
eBay pilot tests the storefronts with a "select few"... the community watches in AWE and wants to be AS SPECIAL... so when they ALLOW the COMMUNITY to sign up for FREE until August 1st and NO MONTHLY FEE until Sept. 1, folks will FLOCK to open an eBay store.
(and they did!!! by the way... the response was overwhelming)
Now, I understand that the storefronts aren't perfect (far from it?) - and there have been some early rumblings about the stores not being searchable, or that folks can't easily offer online payment options other than Billpoint (apparently you might be able to offer Paypal etc. if you go into the option AS IF you have your own merchant account and THEN put in paypal etc... but it's NOT obvious and it IS a "workaround"
And there are other early questions about the fact that if you decide you don't want to keep the store after eBay begins charging you per month for the space (Sept. 1), closing your store may (will?) cause you to lose ALL OF YOUR LISTINGS.
(what a pain in the neck that would be...)
But how many folks will continue with their storefronts at least another month, just for the convenience of NOT losing their listing information?? - At $9.95 for the introductory price, I'd say a good percentage of folks would keep their stores open for the convenience of the first 30 day store LISTINGS (there are no thumbnails... these stores are like 30 day BUY IT NOW Listings) just to plan their next move! DUH! *sigh*
NOW... we all know that eBay has said they will be offering the stores to the community FIRST (lucky us) before bringing in the corporate stores.
NO KIDDING!?!?!
The truth is more likely that the Corporate Stores wouldn't be interested in the storefronts UNLESS they have ALREADY been established as a "Success" within the famous eBay COMMUNITY! In order for the stores to draw in the BIG BOYS... eBay must FIRST court the MOM & POPS (who in turn cultivate the traffic) and THAT (in my opinion) is why the storefronts are FREE to sign up and will be FREE until September and why MANY FOLKS won't be closing their stores until OCTOBER... which gives eBay July, August, Sept & October to Roll out the RED CARPET (made from the blood, sweat and tears of the Mom & Pops AGAIN) for the CORPORATE Stores.
Oh, and by the way... once they get the BIG BOYS signed up for the stores, how likely do you think it would be, for eBay to consider YOUR Business or YOUR feedback THEN???
posted on June 24, 2001 07:59:28 AM
Quote from eBay's Announcement Board:
' eBay Stores is an evolving product, one that is being improved daily based on your feedback and suggestions. '
They themselves realize that the stores need a lot of work, and are more or less asking us to *trust* them that these issues will be taken care of. Based on my 4 years of experience selling on eBay, this is a leap of faith that I am not willing to make.
posted on June 24, 2001 09:45:00 AMeBay pilot tests the storefronts with a "select few"... the community watches in AWE and wants to be AS SPECIAL... so when they ALLOW the COMMUNITY to sign up for FREE until August 1st and NO MONTHLY FEE until Sept. 1, folks will FLOCK to open an eBay store.
What a ludicrous statement!
YUP...ebay is populated by tremendous numbers of people who are so juvenile that they are hoodwinked into signing up for a totally worthless feature because they want to be "special" like a few of ebay's chosen few.
The rest of the ebay community is so JEALOUS of a few people who got a WHOLE 7 DAYS headstart that they mindlessly flock to the storefronts....ROFLMAO!!
All those signing up for the storefronts have such little business sense that the only reason they are signing up is ENVY?
It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that for several years now many ebay sellers have been clamoring for some type of storefront and once it is offered they want to try it out, now could it?
Couldn't have anything to do with the fact that many of those signing up are astute business people who have decided this format could HELP their business grow, now could it?
No...couldn't be for those reasons so it has to be that those signing up are mindless ninnies.
And those not signing up are the only ones on ebay who have a brain of their own and the only ones who can make rational business decisions.
posted on June 24, 2001 09:59:51 AM
Dottie .. I think you stated that quite nicely and succinctly! I see it as you do.
Amy .. A little 'abstract thinking' and 'critical analysis' often serves 'us' better than black and white, concrete thinking when reading a post! A little too literal, perhaps??
Lynne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Edited to remove sig line which is no longer applicable cause I don't list here anymore. How do I remove that blasted thing anyway??
[ edited by tuition44years on Jun 24, 2001 10:01 AM ]
posted on June 24, 2001 10:10:04 AM
Hi Amy: You bring up some very good points regarding the reasons for opening an eBay store... I'm sure there are even MORE reasons that folks have hurried over and signed up with the ebay storefronts so early.
(or PLAN to in the near future) - were you also one of those smart folks in line for a store? If so, then GOOD FOR YOU!!
But your lengthy post did NOT address (or attack?) ANY other portion of my comments.
I realize it may take you some time and effort to come up with a better SPIN in hopes of discrediting my OVERALL opinion of eBays storefronts... but go ahead and take what you need, I have no plans to banter back and forth with you on this subject!
Here's a hankie.... for your nose!
Feel free to have the last word... YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT!!
posted on June 24, 2001 10:11:39 AM
to each his own.
some sellers do not think selling in auction is a long term viable and profitable strategy.
the day you stop listing,no one misses you,no one wonder what happens to you or your merchandise,good will is not relected as an asset on your balance sheets.
selling in an auction is very demanding ,both in our time and fees.
true with a store,we still have to man it,but no one should tell us to remove our items after 7-10 days just because no one bid on it.
we should be able to talk to our customer face to face and tell them there is a choice of size and color.
if some one did not buy it the first time,we should be able to contact him the second time.
but then the choice is ours,we dont have to hang around ebay,there are other places to go,and enough of us go that way,it will be another up and coming e commerce site.
posted on August 12, 2001 09:02:30 AM
eBay stores have been out for a couple of months now.... I thought it would be interesting to bring this thread back to the top to see if folks will flock to post their eBay Stores SUCCESS stories here. *smile*
Fees will be kicking in next month.... out of the droves of folks who signed up back in June, I wonder how many will keep their stores open past September and October if eBay moves forward with their eBay Storefront FEE SCHEDULE.
posted on August 12, 2001 09:54:45 AM
I'll be keeping mine open because I'll spend less per month putting my listings in the storefront than I do in auctions. Hopefully my handmade items will start picking up with Halloween getting closer and I"ll start working on Xmas items...
Plus I'm working with a group of Storefront Owners to try to organize and improve the storefront functions and traffic.. *fingerscrossed*
posted on August 12, 2001 10:02:52 AM
eBay's storefronts are designed for faster turn-over and mass marketing, not for the majority of sellers on eBay.
The auction format does not meet the needs for mass marketing. Having an item "bought" and setting on an auction page for 3-10 days is not a sound business practice.
BIN was an attempt to meet mass marketing needs, but is still harder to maintain than a storefront if you're a mass marketer. And it's not available for Dutch auctions.
Make no mistake, the storefronts are not for small sellers.
Real problems may surface for small auction sellers if the storefronts become a huge success. Resources and visibility will be siphoned from the auction site to the storefronts.
I don't believe eBay can successfuly mesh used/collectable items with new mass marketing items. No large vendor wants to list new items with used, as Amazon is finding out. New book wholesalers and authors have already registered their complaints.
If a vendor knows up front that used items will be listed with the new, they will baulk at signing up.
I would hate to even try to sell new items on Half com. It is amazing the number of new items that can be had used for 25% to 30% of the cost of new.
Who in their right mind would even try to compete unless there is some absolute value in your particular item new that just can't be found in a used item. Underwear and food are the only things that immediately come to mind.
[ edited by REAMOND on Aug 12, 2001 10:04 AM ]
posted on August 12, 2001 11:37:20 AMCouldn't have anything to do with the fact that many of those signing up are astute business people who have decided this format could HELP their business grow, now could it?
From what I've read, very few sellers are reporting positive sales through storefronts.
eBay is a master marketer. They're luring etailers based on their numbers alone, but it's unclear whether eBay can successfully transition from auction to retail format.
I believe there is a reason eBay is making their own stores inaccessible. Perhaps they are trying to create a hybrid auction/retail site for the time being, with inexpensive storefronts which are essentially useless. Maybe later when the etailers join eBay will begin directing buyers to the stores. And raise the price for storefronts.
It's one thing for an etailer to open an eBay store to liquidate old stock. It's another to build a successful online business via eBay. Eventually etailers will find themselves giving their stuff away for less than wholesale, while dealing with the demands of shipping, listing and excessive customer support like we all do. I don't think etailers will fare any better on eBay than anyone else. In fact, I'd suggest that etailers who join eBay are essentially driving themselves out of business. Etailers would do better to create their own network, and cut eBay out of the equation.
posted on August 12, 2001 12:04:45 PM
ditto twinsoft. The only reason eBay works at all for any of us, I believe, is that we sellers are willing to forego a reasonable return on our time and investment in order to Be Our Own Boss. The only fairly large eBay dealers I am aware of are the USPS (goods obtained 'free'), ev--------- (deep pockets startup), [email protected] (public company with VC money) and r-----b-- (eBay participation).
The math simply does not work out for regular sellers, and twinsoft's etailers will face the exact same math.
posted on August 12, 2001 12:30:25 PM
Actually if you can find decent bulkloading/management software, the auction format can be very lucrative for mass merchandising. I can list hundreds even thousands of items with not much work involved. Most of the time consumed with auctions is with packing and book-keeping which is still the same whether you sell via a store front or by auction.
posted on August 12, 2001 01:59:00 PM
My statistics...
Account 1) listed 50 in the store front, sold 21...during same time period (about 6 weeks) I listed around 500 regular auctions on this account.
Account 2) listed 21 and sold 4...during same time period I listed about 300 regular auctions.
Account one I use for china, glass, various collectibles.
Account 2 is books and other paper items.
Account 2 is a new account. On account two the last six weeks I listed old Las Vegas cards and matchbooks plus old auto magazines...only within the last few weeks have I started to put many books up.
I use the storefront to move items that I think will sell if they have more exposure but didn't sell in two rounds of auctions.
I didn't use counters on the store items (or auction items) so I don't know what the traffic was.
I do use auctiva showcase on account 1 (not on account 2).
I think most sales are made to those who have clicked on my "see my other auctions" link....but a couple recent sales seem to have been by someone doing a search of the storefronts.
If the 40% sell through of account 1's storefront is any indication of what will happen in the future, then I will definately be keeping the storefront.
I have more merchandise to put into the storefront (rather than taking them back to real life auctions) and feel I can keep the storefront at 200 items a month. That means each item costs me about 10 cents to list for 30 days. If I have a sell through of 40% and the average item sells for $10, then I have sales of $800 with an outlay of $20 listing fees and $40 FVFs...or a total of $60...not bad.
I will be putting more books up on account two and more into account 2's storefront..will see if I get the same sell through once I am listing more books.
Many times posters on the boards have advocated using the "other" auction sites...helping to build them, so to say. These posters make the argument that the sellers have to be patient, that a successful site isn't built overnight...it takes a while to gain a following.
The same can be said for the storefronts. The general ebay population probably doesn't know about them yet, or doesn't know quite how to use them for buying. It will take a while for the storefronts to establish themselves as another department/floor in the ebay "store".
But I think they will eventually be a very valuable tool for many sellers, both big and little. But it will take a little patience. I think 6 weeks is a bit to soon to be writing up the obituary.
posted on August 12, 2001 02:19:02 PM
Semantics, Steve. Ebay calls them storefronts so that is how they are referred to
Does it matter if they are 30 day dutch, buy it now auctions or storefronts? The real question is...will they expand the seller's ability to move merchandise?
My experience is that they very well might help increase my sales....if they do, then you can call them what ever you want, but I will call mine successful.
Right now its to early to make a final judgement on them...but in my experience, they look promising.
posted on August 12, 2001 03:49:11 PM
I just noticed today that when you click on "view sellers other items" you get a list of store items and auction items all mixed together. The same goes for seller search. Is this new, or has it been this way awhile?
posted on August 12, 2001 04:02:55 PM
Jake its been this way,For as long as I have had a store front This is why I am so confused at the lack of veiws forget sales my store items didnt start getting veiws till they reached 6 days left..
this goes to show I guess how important one auction leading to another really is to seller it has little to know effect on veiws and sales at all..
posted on August 12, 2001 09:42:17 PM
Marie: The only fairly large eBay dealers I am aware of are the USPS (goods obtained 'free'), ev--------- (deep pockets startup), [email protected] (public company with VC money) and r-----b-- (eBay participation). you've piqued my curiosity as to who those 'big sellers' you've mentioned are.
I would have lumped you and Scott (from TBC) in there for sure.
Would you be so kind as to email me
I'm dieing to figure out who your talking about
thanks
Jim
[email protected]
posted on August 12, 2001 11:16:00 PM
"eBay doesn't have Storefronts. They have 30 day, dutch, Buy it Now auctions."
This is true. The #1 portal for storefronts is Yahoo Shopping.
When I'm looking for new merchandise (cameras, computers, etc.) Yahoo Shopping has the biggest selection and is the fastest and easiest way to get the best price.
If I'm looking for used stuff (collectibles etc) the biggest selection and best prices are eBay's auctions not their "storefronts"
posted on August 13, 2001 04:21:27 AM
What's funny is yahoo is again trying to rebuild and grow their auction business, At E-bay's expense. Has anyone had any better luck lately selling on yahoo?
posted on August 13, 2001 07:13:29 AM
james,
i have a shop on yahoo,sometimes i drop item to yahoo auction,result mediocre.
yahoo shop has a very nice layout,it will take man years for ebay to develop a shopfront like yahoo.
i am letting my ebay store die a slow death as more and more of my items expire,i just dont think ebay should call its store a store when items are kept for 30 days only.
shopowners should decide how long the items should be kept in the store.
posted on August 13, 2001 08:17:50 AM
The eBay auction format is no where near adequate for a mass marketer. Being able to load hunderds or thousands of auctions for a mass marketer is nothing.
We're talking about marketers that have revenues in the millions and billions.
Imagine a marketer loading 300,000 items weekly of even daily. Now imagine tracking and servicing those items under current systems. This is why AW is developing new scalable management sales platforms.
The only way for a true mass marketer to do it economically is to have a storefront where servicing is all automated.
Currently, there are no mass marketers on eBay. The largest seller presently on eBay does a small fraction of the sales we're talking about.
posted on August 13, 2001 09:18:55 AM
bulkloading can be a double edged sword-as items are loaded in thousands,so are their listing fees which could run over 1000 dollars a month.
a few hundred got sold at open bid of 8.85,barely enough to cover cost of good sold and listing fee for all items.
you stare at your credit card statement every month say 1500 dollars,you pay off 3/4 of that,next month you upload another 5000,incurring another round of listing fee,you sold a few hundred,you get deeper and deeper in to credit card debt,and what is the going interest rate for credit card balance??
best is to have a store front and sell these repetitive items from your store
posted on August 13, 2001 09:25:06 AM
auction is really meant for rare one of a kind hard to get items or mass liquidation at wholesale level/
corporations cannot make money selling new items on ebay one item at a time (bulk load or not),their cost sturcture just too high,their business philosophy is geared towards uniform quality and stable volume.
how many fortune 500 do you see rushing to sell in turkish bazaar??
