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!

[jason_incognito]

In the OP there is a Modern buyer underlined in the first line. That is a link. It's just not highlighted.

[*eponymous*]

Rather than focusing on meaningless generational clumps, consider that ebay's reputation as a flea market makes it not even a viable shopping option to solid middle-class buyers of any age. Throw in a search engine that comes with a learning curve and investment of time to even find items, a burdensome return system that involves individual sellers' processes and proclivities, the mbg that might or may not cover a buyer, etc., the venue can be perceived as quite unattractive.

Solid middle-class does not include most people who identify as being middle-class.  Most of us ebayers are squarely among the working-poor.

Market to your demographic - people who need stuff at low prices.  Look how successful dollar stores are because they are not ashamed of who they are.  They unabashedly proclaim:  Get stuff you need for a buck or less!

Sellers need to get real about their prices, too...so much junk marked up beyond retail and stuff that is literally garbage from dumpsters, and every seller hoping their item is a diamond in the rough...so it sits and sits and seller's complain about lack of sales.  Well duh!  

Its a shame that sellers who need money from ebay sales for living expenses can no longer make it on ebay, but they need to adjust their expectations and stop think g ebay owes them something.

I think Pierre Omidyar would be ashamed of what ebay has become.. greedy ...and the rah rah ebay king with the red and gold robes, scepter, and crown schtick is so 1999...

[drinkwine1204]

thank you jason

[jason_incognito]

but dollar stores generally aren't online because of the cost of shipping. 

It's just not possible to sell a $10 item with free shipping and free returns.

[*eponymous*]

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wrote:

but dollar stores generally aren't online because of the cost of shipping. 

It's just not possible to sell a $10 item with free shipping and free returns.

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You missed the point...

[jason_incognito]

so what was the point I missed?

[professor-t]

I look at eBay not as someplace to buy cheap stuff, but someplace to buy stuff I can't find easily near me.  I'm slowly moving my inventory to that realm with books over 50 years old, unutual items like vintage knives, jigsaw puzzles that are no longer made, unusual belt buckles and accesories, etc...

I went to find somethig for my mother, a thimble collector, and found a truly unique on from an eBay dealer in Mass.  That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about.  I just got a bunch of vintage pocketknives and will be offering a few of them in good shape individually and most of the rest in lots for parts/repair.  I know there's a market and I'm going through them and cleaning, polishing, and documenting each one by company and type.

The stereotypical millenial won't be interested in them.

[jason_incognito]

unfortunately, it seems eBay isn't interested either. They want us selling new new new. They even run ads touting how such a high percentage of stuff on eBay is NEW

[b86fiero]

I read the article.  Reads like a rehash of a Washington Post article from a while back.  And repeats all of the other marketing / demographics/ e-commerce "insights" to this generation published recently. 

Nothing new information-wise.

Millennials are having their groceries delivered by Amazon and Boxed (a Millenial-friendly alternative to warehouse wholesalers) according to the Washington Post article.   They are all time starved and want to order their groceries while riding the bus to work.  eBay is not on their radar.

Appreciate the effort in producing the blog. 

[a_c_green]

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wrote:

unfortunately, it seems eBay isn't interested either. They want us selling new new new. They even run ads touting how such a high percentage of stuff on eBay is NEW

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I don't particularly feel like I'm being crowded out just because I don't sell new stuff, so I don't much care what's going on over in the "new" areas, but at the same time, I don't get the sense that eBay is thought of as a good source for new items anyway... or to word that more carefully, a source for good new items.

I hear it perceived by others as a good source for obscure or older items, but if you're looking for new merchandise here, you run the risk of buying either fake items or simply junk from China. eBay's baffling insistence on recruiting sellers and merchandise from China puts them in a race to the bottom, with their on-line competition standing around wondering at eBay's motivation for doing so.

I would say that the most common context in which I hear eBay's name mentioned is when someone or some thing is described as successfully completing some project or task "using parts found on eBay." While that's a good thing in general (especially for whoever was desperately seeking that item), it's often mentioned in the context of some application that's long past its prime and is being held together with spit and baling wire... and "parts found on eBay"... For new items, it's not generally good, but more of a cautionary tale, such as "if you bought it on eBay, better get it authenticated."

[bubbleman2010]

I work with 8 millennials and they all share common traits, always late to work always wanting to leave early never have any extra cash always looking at their cellphones live in their Mom and Dads house and don't have a clue about buying something on ebay....

[jason_incognito]

or cleaning.

[castlemagicmemories]

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wrote:

can you post a link to read the third installment ?? I can't even find it

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This IS the third installment, just click where it says, The Modern Buyer, in the OP.

[gracieallen01]

I really think that if ebay wants to market to these 'younger folks' - Millennials - they first need to get a CEO, a group of department heads and and a staff of them so that someone at the top might actually KNOW what is going on, rather than listen to a bunch of 'old fogies' trying to figure out what's NOT happening.

[lindyslucky]

We are parents of a "millennial". We had 3 kids, 3 different decades of our lives. "Millennial"  worked all through high school. Target, Kroger, lifeguard.

Paid for a lot of his college,(honors graduate)  and all of his 2 graduate degrees. Loans, grants, jobs, scholarships.

Left home at 23 and has needed little help since.

Has a good job, good work record.

But ask him about the drain baby boomers are creating on our society!!!!

Lets not get into a generational tiff!

Having said that, there are buying patterns among groups. Our B&M store was geared toward a certain ethnic group and it sure worked for us.

And no, our millenial son does not buy on ebay.