Are sales lagging with the recession?

[monkeyboyto]

Have your sales really dropped off in the last month? Are you dropping prices to drum up new sales?

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

My dollar volume of sales is up 29.2% over the previous 31 days, per ebay's dales data. 

I'm not really dropping prices, but I do send out offers sometimes and do accept (or counter) some buyer initiated offers. But I would not say I'm participating in any kind of race to the bottom. 

I am a very small seller of single quantity long tail items. 

[toysaver]

"Are you dropping prices to drum up new sales?"

No, I'm raising prices to keep up with inflation.

[coolections]

@toysaver  lol, will work as long as buyers are wiling to pay it.

[natoman777]

My sales slowed in June, but are up again.  I sell a wide variety of items.  My wife lists full time and I do when I do part time.  We have the most ever listed because of items not selling as fast as they have in the past.  Ironically my highest priced items are selling the fastest

[m60driver]

My sales have dropped a bit over the last few months and I did lower many prices to increase cash flow.  Mind you most of the items that I lowered the price on are old inventory items that have long been paid for and for which, as I usually cost average my weekend purchases and typically a single sale pays for the entire haul, I have basically nothing invested.

[inhawaii]

Are sales lagging with the recession?

Yes, for most sellers.

Some sellers are enjoying record sales.

It depends on what you're selling and how badly people want to buy what you're selling.

[fairdeal*lb]

I'm not increasing or lowering.. My believe is that there's two economic issues at work, that essentially offset each other.

1. Thoughts of keeping up with inflation by increasing prices.

2. Thoughts of less demand on non essentials.

Net zero change in my view..     

[dnasilver]

There is inflation but no recession. Inflation is caused by plenty of people with money to spend but not enough supply to satisfy their needs to buy. That drives prices up. While some people are struggling and suffering others have plenty of cash to burn and are spending it. Sales will depend on what your selling and what demographic is your target for sales. Lowering prices during inflationary times to sell means you are selling the wrong items and are targeting the wrong demographics.

[dnasilver]

It makes perfect sense that higher items are selling the fastest. Plenty of people flush with cash willing spend it on items they want. Those folks are not by basement bargains.

[nuclearomen]

yes sales have dropped, no it's not the economy, it's ebay and no I haven't dropped prices, in fact I raised them... but I don't care if i sell or not I have 5 other avenues I sell through, ebay can bite me. 

[grandmakskrafts]

I tend to agree that the economy is not much of a factor in declining sales for many sellers.  And I suspect that ebay's search algorithm prioritizes higher priced items.   The few items I have listed for over $20 seem to get a lot more views than items listed for less. 

[ham*i*am46]

No one has mentioned the cost of postage which I think is contributing to less sales.  

[caseypl]

Yeah, seriously. Everyone is free to make their own choices, but I would hope the population at large doesn't fall for doing the opposite of what they should be doing. Don't drop your prices while you watch retailers raise their prices. Play into the same stuff they are doing and eventually the government will either reset the whole system or pump more currency in to keep the inflation train going. Something has to give, but I always hate seeing people do the opposite of what they should. 

[caseypl]

Buyers seem to have no problem with not speaking up to retailers and they seem okay with just continuing to pay higher and higher prices. Although AT&T did say customers are taking longer to pay their cell phone bills now (aka... they stopped paying)