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What is going on with sales on ebay? Sales down 60%

Been selling since 1999 with thousands of items listed. October always been the best month for me every year but this year- OMG it is horrible. I am selling virtually nothing and the returns off set what I sell.  This very scary when you are sitting on thousands of dollars of inventory. I do the promoted listings- my feedback is great. But I don't think people are shopping here anymore. They have made it so hard for sellers and they keep bringing in the big box stores- I mean we are competing with them. I know I don't shop on ebay anymore- there never seems to be any deals like there used to be!  Where is everyone else selling?  Anyone else having same experiences?

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What is going on with sales on ebay? Sales down 60%


@beckteam wrote:

Been selling since 1999 with thousands of items listed. October always been the best month for me every year but this year- OMG it is horrible. I am selling virtually nothing and the returns off set what I sell.  This very scary when you are sitting on thousands of dollars of inventory. I do the promoted listings- my feedback is great. But I don't think people are shopping here anymore. They have made it so hard for sellers and they keep bringing in the big box stores- I mean we are competing with them. I know I don't shop on ebay anymore- there never seems to be any deals like there used to be!  Where is everyone else selling?  Anyone else having same experiences?


Some clothing resellers have been talking about drops in their category while others seem to be doing just fine. I have had high a low months all year, so I can't even explain what that's about.

 

 I have read a few articles that today's youth will be more interested in resellers of clothing than purchasing brand new. That certainly, if it happens, will give a push to all clothing resellers. We can hope?

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What is going on with sales on ebay? Sales down 60%


@beckteam wrote:

Been selling since 1999 with thousands of items listed. October always been the best month for me every year but this year- OMG it is horrible. I am selling virtually nothing and the returns off set what I sell.  This very scary when you are sitting on thousands of dollars of inventory. I do the promoted listings- my feedback is great. But I don't think people are shopping here anymore. They have made it so hard for sellers and they keep bringing in the big box stores- I mean we are competing with them. I know I don't shop on ebay anymore- there never seems to be any deals like there used to be!  Where is everyone else selling?  Anyone else having same experiences?


It is not just you. Chin up. Hope it gets better. Check comparable in your listings, try tweaking titles with what is working based on comparables. Check item specifics too. 

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What is going on with sales on ebay? Sales down 60%

Sales good in October, until this weekend, then nothing the last three days, end of month and ebay does not want anymore of our money I guess.

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What is going on with sales on ebay? Sales down 60%

auctionpet
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@beckteam wrote:

Been selling since 1999 with thousands of items listed. October always been the best month for me every year but this year- OMG it is horrible. I am selling virtually nothing and the returns off set what I sell.  This very scary when you are sitting on thousands of dollars of inventory. I do the promoted listings- my feedback is great. But I don't think people are shopping here anymore. They have made it so hard for sellers and they keep bringing in the big box stores- I mean we are competing with them. I know I don't shop on ebay anymore- there never seems to be any deals like there used to be!  Where is everyone else selling?  Anyone else having same experiences?


I think you've just answered your own question. If you don't shop here and feel there aren't deals, then why would you expect others to. 

 

I find it interesting when those who complain about lack of sales openly admit they don't buy here! Very sad.

 

I try to buy here when there's something I need. I do find deals! I don't buy on this ID.

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What is going on with sales on ebay? Sales down 60%

Same here. The worst October ever,  Ten years on ebay.  The store and listing fees are higher than the final value fee when something sold....... 

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What is going on with sales on ebay? Sales down 60%

I think your issue might be simply too many listings competing for the same buyers.

 

(1) eBay's gross sales have been mostly flat for the last five years.

(2) You have a lot of listings in women's clothing and accessories.   Taking a look at some hard numbers:    In your categories, there were 11.2 Million listings in June 2015, and this has moved to 46.7 Million listings in June 2017.

 

In other words, the number of listings has increased 4-fold, but the costomers have remained the same.

 

My guess is the large increase in listings is mostly due to the influx of the big-box and China sellers.

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What is going on with sales on ebay? Sales down 60%

Promoted listings are an abomination. I will NEVER, EVER, Not in a million years, ever buy one of them.

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What is going on with sales on ebay? Sales down 60%

I have read a few articles that today's youth will be more interested in resellers of clothing than purchasing brand new. That certainly, if it happens, will give a push to all clothing resellers. We can hope?

 

I agree with that but the problem for sellers here is there are far more places now to purchase, or even rent, preowned clothing, and I see new sites coming on board all the time, it seems. 

 

My oldest princess, when I stopped buying her high end clothing for her because of our financial ruin after the Crash of 2008, discovered the excellent consignment stores in Chicago and also many online sites.  She's done the "pick 5" site, the rent-a-dress sites, the other resale sites.   

 

She will look at ebay for various things but not for clothing or shoes.  Maybe because she can still rummage through my closet and find something to wear once to a wedding, lol.

 

She'll ask me about certain listings here and what I think - are they legit or not - and she buys a lot of stuff through craigslist.   She asks me about other online sites, too.

 

In other words, she shops and she's had to learn how to do preowned but ebay is not in her top choices of where to look.   She wouldn't buy Chinese here, ever.

 

(The youngest princess and her husband are Real Shoppers, and use Amazon for the majority of items.  They never look at ebay and anything preowned when the tots were small was purchased at a twice-a-year swank consignment sale.  They are the rare birds that shop constantly, online and in the malls.)

 

What was the question?  Oh yeah, sales.  Mine are good but I'm lasered in on seasonal items (not clothing) which I've been accumulating since last Christmas season.

Sherry

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