No Sales October 2020

[g-aboutique]

Anyone selling clothing experiencing a halt to their sales this fall?  I expected a slump - COVID, unemployment rates, wildfires, election year.  

But, I see all of these clothing sellers on Social Media showing off their sales and exclaiming that their sales are increasing this 4th quarter.  They sell the same brands as I do at similar price points, so I’m not sure what gives.

I have run sales, promoted listing, listed new items daily, ended/modified/sold similar items.  I’m now down 70% from last year.  Any other suggestions?  Was anyone able to turn their sales slump

around?  

My other platforms are still seeing respectable sales, but I like selling on eBay and choose to make this platform my primary priority.  

[g-aboutique]

I agree!  I would rather sell things on eBay too.    Like you, I’m working harder and selling less.  It has been such a strange year.

My sales were up this summer (which is usually my slow season) and then came to a halt this fall (which is usually my bust season). I’m over 2020, lol.

[no-plain-white-envelopes]

Normally my slow months are during the Summer, but Summer was awesome for my Category and this last week of October is the worst since being forced into managed payments. I have even managed to get more inventory listed , but it seems we have hit the EBAY WALL again. This week will be I am averaging $938 a week for payouts and this weeks will be 1/3 of that. No clue what is going on with ebay.

[rdemaree]

I sell handmade art supplies and art related materials and I can attest to the fact that October has been slower for me too. The only month slower than October for me this year was March when everything locked down and everyone panicked. Spring and summer were great until August when things dipped, then picked back up a bit in September then dipped huge in October.

I suspect this has to do with economy and upcoming election. It’s weird tho because I sold 3X more last month than this month. 

hopefully Christmas shopping and another round of stimulus cheque’s will boost all us small businesses.

[g-aboutique]

I’m sorry to hear that things are slow for you as well.  It is really hard to remain optimistic, especially when other platforms are doing well, but the best we can do is all hang in there and wait for the buyers to return to eBay.  I had a few sales yesterday, so there are a few still buying.  Best wishes to you and I hope you have a profitable Christmas selling season 🙂

[g-aboutique]

I’m usually really slow in the summer too.  But this year, my summer months were a little busier too.  I switched over to Managed Payments early on last year and fortunately did not see a decrease in my sales at that time.  But recently I have heard A LOT of buyers say that their sales dropped/stopped immediately after they switched over.  So I wonder if something has changed or if there is some sort of glitch with the new system that is preventing buyers from purchasing?!?!

[kathieskorner]

Three out of four weekends in October with no sales on any of my accounts - no Monday trip to the post office needed again today.   Worst October in 20 years, and I doubt that five more days left in the month will make any difference.  When my bookstore outsells my other three accounts six out of the last eight months, and crafts were the top seller the other two months - something has definitely changed. 

What I find strange is that home decor items (old inventory) that I have shifted to my crafts account (so I can use the 200 listings per month} suddenly sell.  My crafts and bookstore accounts have achieved top rated status over the past eight months while I will probably lose top rated status on my other two accounts this month. 

I'm not optimistic about any after election or Christmas boost this year. 

[mam98031]

---

@g-aboutique wrote:

I’m sorry to hear that things are slow for you as well.  It is really hard to remain optimistic, especially when other platforms are doing well, but the best we can do is all hang in there and wait for the buyers to return to eBay.  I had a few sales yesterday, so there are a few still buying.  Best wishes to you and I hope you have a profitable Christmas selling season 🙂

---

Don't confuse some individual sellers sales being down with the platform as a whole being down.  Ebay is having a banner year as are many of its sellers.  Sales are always up and down for most sellers, even in a year without all the challenges we have had in 2020 and continue to have.  

Lets see what happens in the later next week or the following week.  

[mam98031]

---

@g-aboutique wrote:

I’m usually really slow in the summer too.  But this year, my summer months were a little busier too.  I switched over to Managed Payments early on last year and fortunately did not see a decrease in my sales at that time.  But recently I have heard A LOT of buyers say that their sales dropped/stopped immediately after they switched over.  So I wonder if something has changed or if there is some sort of glitch with the new system that is preventing buyers from purchasing?!?!

---

I'm unsure why any seller would think that their sales slows down because they entered MP.  One has nothing to do with the other.  It is a payment process, nothing more.  If anything since buyers have additional ways in which they can pay it would increase sales.  

The issue that some buyers are having paying for stuff they want on Ebay is NOT MP specific.  It happens to sellers in MP and those that are not.  

I think it is just another way to complain about MP as many just don't like it.  So anything that goes wrong has to be MP's fault.  IMHO there are plenty of things that can use improvement in MP, we have no need to find additional things to pile on.  Besides a problem or issue can't be resolved if you don't find the source.  

[monroe67]

On my seller ID, earlier in this year, I sold three cross-stitch embroidery charts/kits that I had tried to sell in previous years that had gotten no interest whatsoever.  I chalked that up to people staying home and either picking up an old past-time or starting a new one.   But my current listings of similar items are just taking up space, even with lowered prices and free shipping.  

[namtrag1]

First 17 Days were really good.  Then ZIPPO NODDA NONE afterwards.

Impressions are OK.  Total views are OK.  Just ZERO sales between the 18th and right now (26th)

What gives??

[yuzuha]

---

@kathieskorner wrote:

What I find strange is that home decor items (old inventory) that I have shifted to my crafts account (so I can use the 200 listings per month} suddenly sell. 

---

Home decor has been selling like mad at my B&M job. People are spending all of their time at home now and realizing that they don't like their current decor and want a change. That and furniture are probably our biggest-selling categories at the moment-- we literally can't keep home office furniture like desks in stock, and we've got one particular style of sofa backordered all the way into November.

[fortesmentum]

I have to agree with most of the above observations.  The past 10 days - nothing happening.  Just complete silence, where for the past 10 months I would have sales almost daily.

[home2thesea]

---

@g-aboutique wrote:

Anyone selling clothing experiencing a halt to their sales this fall?  I expected a slump - COVID, unemployment rates, wildfires, election year.  

But, I see all of these clothing sellers on Social Media showing off their sales and exclaiming that their sales are increasing this 4th quarter.  They sell the same brands as I do at similar price points, so I’m not sure what gives.

---

 I've seen posts on reddit from other sellers asking the same question you are. How are all these clothing sellers doing so well? Answer: not all of them are telling the truth. In fact, in a couple of instances, I saw commenters who found the proof to dispute claims that everything was going swimmingly for particular sellers in the clothing resale market. I've sold clothing on eBay and another site for a couple of years and saw my sales tank with the pandemic. People don't have the money and they aren't going out that much either, hence, why buy more clothes and shoes?  I'm clearing out all my clothing and moving into other categories. I only wish I had a source for buying games and crafts in bulk. Those sell really well now.

[g-aboutique]

Amen! I definitely suspect that they are not being honest about their sales.  I get that no one wants to admit defeat, but I can’t wrap my mind around why someone with a social media presences would feel the need to a) exaggerate/lie about their sales b) accuse those of not doing well with being lazy sellers.     I guess it is just overinflated ego’s.  I’m going to have to check out these Reddit threads.  

[chapeau-noir]

---

@g-aboutique wrote:

Amen! I definitely suspect that they are not being honest about their sales.  I get that no one wants to admit defeat, but I can’t wrap my mind around why someone with a social media presences would feel the need to a) exaggerate/lie about their sales b) accuse those of not doing well with being lazy sellers.     I guess it is just overinflated egos.  I’m going to have to check out these Reddit threads.  

---

That's easy - social media is all about how one appears before the public, and their image is monetized, so of course they have to appear bright and shiny and uber successful. Social media is not real world - it's a simulacrum.  I frankly don't understand why anyone would even take SM seriously - anyone can say anything on SM - there's no vetting for truth.