posted on December 1, 2000 10:36:37 AM new
Thanks for the link Zazzie!
I think that Publisher's should wake-up and realized that Marketplace could be THE biggest positive thing for them if they take advantage of this opportunity.
They could easily strike a deal with Amazon.com to list their books directly on Amazon's website through Marketplace and ship from their own warehouses. They would dramaticaly cut on their returns by carrying only the lowest inventory required. And Amazon also would benefit a lot by not having to carry out the inventory (which I never understood why they did in the first place) and keep a commision on sales.
What is the biggest asset of Amazon? First, it is their huge database. Second, the Reviews. Where does everyone go to learn about a book, if not amazon? They could extend this by merging it with the Internet Movie Database. Third, because of the above, the huge customer base.
Amazon should focus on providing access to a huge database, connecting buyers and sellers and providing secure payments methods. Inventory and shipping should be left to others. Maybe they would turn profitable then.
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As for used books, there is a great opportunity with marketplace (and half.com also) with their ISBN listings to monitor exactly what sells and take a commission for the copyright owner or something like that. Just a thought...
posted on December 1, 2000 11:25:51 AM new
Actually I was asked to partipate in Marketplace and declined for the same reason I'd never list on Half.com
I don't mind the extra commission. What I do mind is being told how to sell, at what price and how much to charge for shipping. I also do not need Amazon or anyone else to hold my loot for 2-4 weeks at a time.
CIMFRA: are you perhaps mixing up Amazon's advantage program with Marketplace??
I also was thinking of using Advantage but declined after I discovered the coming of marketplace. I didn't want to subsidize the selling of other people's product in the fashion that they went in.
I give Amazon my product and 55% of the SRP. Now I want to work with Amazon. I appreciate the way they do most things and I don't even mind the 55 points much. But to put ads for people to compete with their single used copy on the same page as I'm trying to sell new product is just plain goofy?
Would you want to buy a new book if you could get a clean used one for half price, or less??
No confusion. Advantage works in a reverse fashion. Amazon will stock, list and ship your items. This is nice for a small publisher who is not able to afford or unwilling to invest in a warehousing, shipping and marketing system. Amazon, for a hefty price, gives them all this plus high exposure.
Marketplace on the other hand takes advantage of the strengh of Amazon but leaves inventory and shipping in the hand of the publisher (or the distributor or even a retailer). Amazon would list their items, collect orders and payments and in turn they would ship from their own warehouses.
I agree with you that Amazon should let you free to select the price you sell your items. If they feel that they lose money by having someone buy an item through Marketplace rather than from their own inventory then they should increase their commission. But in reality, their actual margin is around 25% now before expenses. By getting rid of the cost of carrying the inventory and shipping, it should evens out.
posted on December 1, 2000 02:55:46 PM new
I think Amazon is trying to feel its way as to what to do regarding Auctions, zshops, marketplace, and their stores of which they buy product to sell and support Advantage. ( They don't explain who's getting the Advantage?)
I've been selling through their auctions for over a year after they enticed me over from Ebay.
In the past few months they've really driven traffic as far from auctions as they could and I really feel that it's sooooo short sighted on their part.
But it's their business and I understand that. They asked me to particpate on Marketplace but it was soooo unattractive I couldn't and of course there have been big time bugs.
Their support is down too.
It's a shame as they always seemed to lead rather than react. I'm hanging in and hoping they get their act together or bring in someone to run things.
They have the best interface if they'd only exploit it!!
posted on December 2, 2000 03:56:58 AM new
canvid: I also do not like being given a shipping "allowance". I've started emailing my Marketplace buyers to alert them that I will be shipping book rate, because some of them have had no idea. I called Amazon and gave them the brilliant idea to offer a Priority option, but so far they haven't, and if not now, when? It needs to be in place for the holidays.
By "hold my loot for 2-4 weeks" do you mean your inventory or your money? This week I found that they'd re-enabled a button on the seller account screen so you can initiate a bank transfer immmediately. No waiting 2 weeks like with half.com. So I'm doing that now.
As for the inventory, for many things I am listing on both half.com and Marketplace, and when the book sells one place I take it off the other. If I want to put the book on ebay, I just take it off Amazon, no sweat.
It may not be the model for everyone, but I've made some great sales, and I'm happy. I think the whole concept adjusts book prices to where they SHOULD be, anyway. I'm a librarian but I don't buy new books because I am opposed to the price structure. But I'll buy them at the price *I* think they are worth on ebay, half.com, and now Marketplace.
posted on December 2, 2000 09:09:35 AM new
I still prefer auctions. I never did Zshops. I don't see an upside to fixed price selling? Someone please enlighten me if you can?
I can understand Amazon needing more revenue.
If they had upped the fees to 15% I wouldn't of said a peep. Heck, I suggested to them that instead of charging $40.00 per month they charge $250 but maintain traffic flow and support. Instead they cut flow, focused on Marketplace annoying (from what I've seen) auction sellers and Retail sellers in their stores. I think someone's been hitting the panic button a few too many times over there?
That being said I'm making some great auction sales. Personally I think I would've had my best season ever if Amazon hadn't tinkered with the flow of traffic to auctions.
