Discussion - The Modern Buyer: How Millennials Shop Now

[scene.of.the.crop]

Hi, everyone!

We’ve posted our third installment in “The Modern Buyer” blog series where we are diving deep into the shopping experience today’s buyers expect, and what this means for eBay sellers.

Today’s article covers the most talked about generation, the Millennials. This generation, born between 1980 and 2000, are the largest group of shoppers in the world.

Let us know how you are thinking about the direction for your business in the short and long term as it relates to new buying behaviors.

I’m Jennifer Deal, eBay Seller Marketing Manager, and I’ll be popping in and out of this thread to answer your questions and infuse some discussion points over the next couple of days. Join the discussion below!

[gramophone-georg]

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EBAY ought to figure out to market to all buyers not just millenials it really seems like traffic to ebay site is in decline.  Banners on other sites, banners on social media, banners in general to redirect traffic to ebay site. 

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Agree. I just find it very weird to focus on one specific age group. Look, ebay, the people with the MONEY at this point are not millenials, at least not here on ebay. It's baby boomers and they want to spend the cash they've saved. Most of my customers for pricey jewelry are younger baby boomers or male millenials and boomers who are buying for a One time special occassion ala Valentine's Day or Christmas. 

We get the phone thing. This isn't an eye opener. What do want us to do? You have us locked in here at ebay, we're not supposed to 'talk' to customers because ebay has paranoia of outside sales, yet you say we should get social. Um, what? 

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It's the same ol' same ol'. eBay just creates  the problems. It's up to YOU to solve them... I guess.

[aislynkat]

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The fact that Millennials want easy free returns is very telling. They obviously aren't serious about what they're buying or want to be sure they can play around with it or wear it and then get all their money back. It's pretty bad when someone is more concerned about returning an item than buying it! I'm not here to 'rent' stuff, I'm here to sell items. Any business that plays fast and loose with a returns policy will sooner or later be belly up or barely able to make ends meet.

Personally, I wouldn't even want to shop at a business that has super lenient returns. Particularly on worn items. How does one know the item they just purchased wasn't worn by another and returned, then simply reprocessed to resell. Especially those that sell undergarments! No thanks!

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Exactly - who wants to sell to "Most shoppers are frequently returning online purchases"?

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Agree,

I would think its wise to stay as far away as you can from those who return items for no reason just because they can.

Not saying other generations don't return things, but millennials are not a consumer base I would be comfortable attracting on a regular basis....

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60 day free returns on clothes and such is just gross. Ewwww. No way.

[aislynkat]

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We get the phone thing. This isn't an eye opener. What do want us to do? You have us locked in here at ebay, we're not supposed to 'talk' to customers because ebay has paranoia of outside sales, yet you say we should get social. Um, what? 

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It's the same ol' same ol'. eBay just creates  the problems. It's up to YOU to solve them... I guess.

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I know. They are adorable when they think too much. =0

[luxe_auto_parts]

Have you read the article? It says:

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Caveat: while millennials as a group reflect these characteristics, we know that not all millennials are the same (in fact, a study done by Pew Research found millennials to be more diverse than any other generation) and not all of these strategies will work will work for every seller

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Don't judge a book by its cover.

The article itself doesn't give any new information. eBay keeps pushing sellers to change their return policies, by making free 30-60-etc. days returns, which gives buyers more chances to use an item and then return it back (usually with damages and signs of wear). I don't see why would sellers do this by themselves, it's seems more like platform job to me. Amazon have done this, and guess what? - They are HUGE now and continue to grow. What I'm seeing now is that eBay tries to improve its market position by forcing these ridiculous rules. They don't want to spend even a cent, they want the sellers do all the job for them. I would appreciate if a topic starter will take a look at what people say here and draw the right conclusions.

[gramophone-georg]

Here it is- directly from Katie's blog:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/472675i7485CDE5AD82F005/image-size/large?v=1...

And wouldn't you just know  that a C&P of this image directly from an eBay blog is NOT compatible with your forum image software.

Anyways, it's a quote from Sucharita Mulpuru, an industry analyst, and it says "Retailers who want to remain competitive will find ways to reduce friction..."

I know it, you know it, Katie knows it, Sucharita Mulpuru knows it... yet eBay is full throttle in exactly the opposite  direction with no sign of slowing down.

I really don't think free shipping and the MBG and easy free returns are going to solve this one. Sorry.

[carlmarxx]

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I'm not so sure it's just buyers "over 60", either. Record collectors are an odd lot. Lots of them do things the old fashioned way regardless of age. I used to joke that they used cash because then their spouses couldn't see what they were spending on their obsession... but whatever the reason, when eBay forced PayPal for their "protection", the 25 or better percent of my buyers who were straight paper payments ONLY people just melted away overnight.

Exactly.  While millenials aren't a big part of my buyer base, the ones who are tend to think more like the rest of my buyer base (older) than their millenial peers. 

In my case, paper payments were closer to 50% of my sales.  Despite telling them they could continue on just like before once the new policy took effect, every single one of them vanished (and the promises eBay would "re-educate" them and make them into PayPal users went 100% unmet).  You see, they were shopping on eBay, not just from me, and when they couldn't use paper with anyone else (or even tell if they could use paper with certain other sellers), shopping here was just a waste of time for them. 

The problem with focusing on a demographic is that you ignore everyone else. eBay is chasing the same subset of buyers that everyone else's focus groups are telling THEM to chase...

Well, based on this series of eBay Blogs, every demographic / generation is the same... Free Shipping, Automated 60 days Returns, 5 minute Handling Time... Lather, Rinse, Repeat....

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My buyers aren't Millennials  !  And I wished would not just go after them.  They aren't  Ebays true buyers.  

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@carlmarxx  Who do you see as eBay's buyers? 

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My buyers are older collectors  .  .

[ted_200]

My buyers are older collectors  .  .

Mine too, today.  I've sold other stuff here, in the past (that's another topic), where my buyers were 80%+ women, of all age demographics (jewelry).  Different other stuff, the buyers were 75% male, likely 18-40 (comic related).  Still other stuff, near 100% male boomers.

But I still think the site is smart to focus on millenials, and all other demographics, even if they aren't suited to what I'm selling this day.  Other eBay sellers can sell a gazillion phone covers to millenials, that's great too and shouldn't negatively affect me at all. 

I agree with georg, reducing friction would be really helpful with all demographics/generations.  

And eBay has sold some of these programs that way... the Returns process was going to be "simple" and "streamlined".  It's anything but. 

Same with the search/site navigation issues... the "simpler" and "more intuitive" they make it, the more complex and difficult to understand it gets. 

Is "Ask Question" going to get me the seller, or get me the catalog page general Q&A?  Maybe if we change "Contact Seller" to "Ask Seller Question" and switch it back a few more times, and move it from the top to the bottom of the page a few more times, it will become clearer?

Is "keep all communications on eBay" somehow being served by making communicating on eBay more difficult, and potentially hazardous to the users?

[magicjohnsonsvariety]

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I'm not so sure it's just buyers "over 60", either. Record collectors are an odd lot. Lots of them do things the old fashioned way regardless of age. I used to joke that they used cash because then their spouses couldn't see what they were spending on their obsession... but whatever the reason, when eBay forced PayPal for their "protection", the 25 or better percent of my buyers who were straight paper payments ONLY people just melted away overnight.

Exactly.  While millenials aren't a big part of my buyer base, the ones who are tend to think more like the rest of my buyer base (older) than their millenial peers. 

In my case, paper payments were closer to 50% of my sales.  Despite telling them they could continue on just like before once the new policy took effect, every single one of them vanished (and the promises eBay would "re-educate" them and make them into PayPal users went 100% unmet).  You see, they were shopping on eBay, not just from me, and when they couldn't use paper with anyone else (or even tell if they could use paper with certain other sellers), shopping here was just a waste of time for them. 

The problem with focusing on a demographic is that you ignore everyone else. eBay is chasing the same subset of buyers that everyone else's focus groups are telling THEM to chase...

Well, based on this series of eBay Blogs, every demographic / generation is the same... Free Shipping, Automated 60 days Returns, 5 minute Handling Time... Lather, Rinse, Repeat....

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My buyers aren't Millennials  !  And I wished would not just go after them.  They aren't  Ebays true buyers.  

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@carlmarxx  Who do you see as eBay's buyers? 

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My buyers are older collectors  .  .

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But aren't we just assuming our Buyers are older...I don't get any information on the age or even the generation of my customers, just a name and address. 

Are 25 y/o's buying Rotary dial telephones??...probably not but then again, maybe some are...who knows.

If this dicussion is ultimately about how ebay can more effectively focus their advertising dollars in order to reach different (new) generations, then I'm all for it.

Ebay could easily target everyone at once with just one Super Bowl commercial, but I guess the NBA finals is all they can afford. 

[scene.of.the.crop]

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EBAY ought to figure out to market to all buyers not just millenials it really seems like traffic to ebay site is in decline.  Banners on other sites, banners on social media, banners in general to redirect traffic to ebay site. 

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Agree. I just find it very weird to focus on one specific age group. Look, ebay, the people with the MONEY at this point are not millenials, at least not here on ebay. It's baby boomers and they want to spend the cash they've saved.

Most of my customers for pricey jewelry are younger baby boomers or male millenials and boomers who are buying for a One time special occassion ala Valentine's Day or Christmas. 

Does this happen naturally or do you set up promotions for them to find you during these key moments? Are you willing to share your story here? 

We get the phone thing. This isn't an eye opener. What do want us to do? You have us locked in here at ebay, we're not supposed to 'talk' to customers because ebay has paranoia of outside sales, yet you say we should get social. 

Cultivating a following on social channels is helps you create excitement for your business, promote products you've listed (even earn share of sale if you are an eBay Partner Network promoter) and answer questions about your products.  

Communication on eBay is set up via My Messages, in FAQs or including your phone number in your account settings for post-sale transactions. Without visibility into transactional conversation, there are potential gaps if a need arises to apply any seller or buyer protections. 

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@aislynkat  This article is one of four in a series about the Modern Buyer. Links to Article 1 - The Modern Buyer and Article 2 - The Modern Buyer series in the eBay for Business blog. 

[a_c_green]

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Well, based on this series of eBay Blogs, every demographic / generation is the same... Free Shipping, Automated 60 days Returns, 5 minute Handling Time... Lather, Rinse, Repeat....

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I have to admit, I'm feeling a bit sorry for whoever's been handed the assignment to write the upcoming Chapter 4 on Generation Z buyers. The pressure to say something... anything... new about Gen Z or how to cater to them that hasn't been said already must be immense. I think most folks' Buzzword Bingo™ cards are already near capacity; Chapter 4 may elicit multiple shoutouts all at once. Ready? Here we go:

"Chapter 4: In marketing to Generation Z buyers, we need to dive deep and ask ourselves, "What does this new and exciting generation of eBay buyers bring to the table in the form of new and exciting prospects for purchasing smartphone covers with sparkly bits on them?

[Insert stock photo of attractive blonde female here. She is smiling at her smartphone or tablet.]

How can we cater to the rich and diverse Gen Z wants and needs in terms of Free Shipping, Free Returns and Money Back Guarantees? In a recent Pew Research study--"

*BINGO!* 

"Bingo!"

"BingoBingoBingo..." etc...

[slippinjimmy]

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@carlmarxx wrote:

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My buyers aren't Millennials  !  And I wished would not just go after them.  They aren't  Ebays true buyers.  

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So you don't have ANY buyers age 20 - 38? How about 10 years from now when the millenials will be 30 - 48?

There are 75 MILLION millenials in the USA, that's a pretty large group to ignore especially as that group also has the most disposable income and are entering their highest earning and highest spending time of their lives.

Most of the Star Wars fans I know are millenials (or a bit younger) at least the ones that are buying merch. I don't know many boomers (the original Star Wars fans) that are still buying action figures.

[scene.of.the.crop]

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Have you read the article? It says:

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Caveat: while millennials as a group reflect these characteristics, we know that not all millennials are the same (in fact, a study done by Pew Research found millennials to be more diverse than any other generation) and not all of these strategies will work will work for every seller

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Don't judge a book by its cover.

The article itself doesn't give any new information. eBay keeps pushing sellers to change their return policies, by making free 30-60-etc. days returns, which gives buyers more chances to use an item and then return it back (usually with damages and signs of wear). I don't see why would sellers do this by themselves, it's seems more like platform job to me. Amazon have done this, and guess what? - They are HUGE now and continue to grow. What I'm seeing now is that eBay tries to improve its market position by forcing these ridiculous rules. They don't want to spend even a cent, they want the sellers do all the job for them. I would appreciate if a topic starter will take a look at what people say here and draw the right conclusions.

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@luxe_auto_parts  I'd love to hear the conclusions you'd draw. You sell in a lucrative space that gains successes from the consumer that is an enthusiast and fanatic. I expect that your consumers have particular tastes and needs and they rely not only on the trust and quality your listings need to communicate but also on a level of service that meets their expectations. Granted the expectations of an auto enthusiast could be classified differently on items they can patiently wait for versus a replacement that may be in quick demand OR even diferent if buying a shirt or shoes from another retailer. 

Do you feel the need to consider the preferences that may change among generations for your business or do you rely on the shared behaviors of the auto enthusiast consumer ? 

[nawlinsron2]

Right total price, willing customer.
When did selling become a Gordian Knot?

[carlmarxx]

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I'm not so sure it's just buyers "over 60", either. Record collectors are an odd lot. Lots of them do things the old fashioned way regardless of age. I used to joke that they used cash because then their spouses couldn't see what they were spending on their obsession... but whatever the reason, when eBay forced PayPal for their "protection", the 25 or better percent of my buyers who were straight paper payments ONLY people just melted away overnight.

Exactly.  While millenials aren't a big part of my buyer base, the ones who are tend to think more like the rest of my buyer base (older) than their millenial peers. 

In my case, paper payments were closer to 50% of my sales.  Despite telling them they could continue on just like before once the new policy took effect, every single one of them vanished (and the promises eBay would "re-educate" them and make them into PayPal users went 100% unmet).  You see, they were shopping on eBay, not just from me, and when they couldn't use paper with anyone else (or even tell if they could use paper with certain other sellers), shopping here was just a waste of time for them. 

The problem with focusing on a demographic is that you ignore everyone else. eBay is chasing the same subset of buyers that everyone else's focus groups are telling THEM to chase...

Well, based on this series of eBay Blogs, every demographic / generation is the same... Free Shipping, Automated 60 days Returns, 5 minute Handling Time... Lather, Rinse, Repeat....

---

My buyers aren't Millennials  !  And I wished would not just go after them.  They aren't  Ebays true buyers.  

---

@carlmarxx  Who do you see as eBay's buyers? 

---

My buyers are older collectors  .  .

---

But aren't we just assuming our Buyers are older...I don't get any information on the age or even the generation of my customers, just a name and address. 

Are 25 y/o's buying Rotary dial telephones??...probably not but then again, maybe some are...who knows.

If this dicussion is ultimately about how ebay can more effectively focus their advertising dollars in order to reach different (new) generations, then I'm all for it.

Ebay could easily target everyone at once with just one Super Bowl commercial, but I guess the NBA finals is all they can afford. 

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Based On the type of stuff I deal in  ,  I have good Idea  of age  group  of  my buyers .  I may get  a few  between   25 and 35  .    But like you said you  never  know , However   I have  customer  that  is  a  Toy collector and  is over 40  and  knows what he wants and  has money pay for them .  

[carlmarxx]

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Have you read the article? It says:

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Caveat: while millennials as a group reflect these characteristics, we know that not all millennials are the same (in fact, a study done by Pew Research found millennials to be more diverse than any other generation) and not all of these strategies will work will work for every seller

---

Don't judge a book by its cover.

The article itself doesn't give any new information. eBay keeps pushing sellers to change their return policies, by making free 30-60-etc. days returns, which gives buyers more chances to use an item and then return it back (usually with damages and signs of wear). I don't see why would sellers do this by themselves, it's seems more like platform job to me. Amazon have done this, and guess what? - They are HUGE now and continue to grow. What I'm seeing now is that eBay tries to improve its market position by forcing these ridiculous rules. They don't want to spend even a cent, they want the sellers do all the job for them. I would appreciate if a topic starter will take a look at what people say here and draw the right conclusions.

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@luxe_auto_parts  I'd love to hear the conclusions you'd draw. You sell in a lucrative space that gains successes from the consumer that is an enthusiast and fanatic. I expect that your consumers have particular tastes and needs and they rely not only on the trust and quality your listings need to communicate but also on a level of service that meets their expectations. Granted the expectations of an auto enthusiast could be classified differently on items they can patiently wait for versus a replacement that may be in quick demand OR even different if buying a shirt or shoes from another retailer. 

Do you feel the need to consider the preferences that may change among generations for your business or do you rely on the shared behaviors of the auto enthusiast consumer ? 

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You  and the rest of ebay staff are Blind  to   Retail Buyer fraud !   that is  costing  retail industry  Billions of  Dollars  in lost money! Ebay staff  will not respect  and  back up  both State and Federal  Consumer  and Merchant protections  covered for both B/M and Online Sales  !  Especially Merchant and 3P seller second market Rights . Which gives the merchant to do No refunds  or Limited  refunds  or  merchant credit on their  next purchase .    Buyers  have to show proof that item sold  didn't meet what it's intended Use ,they bought it for from the merchant .