08-17-2021 09:12 PM
Has anyone else experienced slow or no sales after opening a store? I was doing well and so I thought it was time to open a store. Immediately, my sales plummeted. I don't have a store anymore and it's taking a long time to regain my momentum. What is your experience?
08-17-2021 09:19 PM
Opening a store would have no negative impact on your sales. In fact, it could increase them.
This is the slowest time of year for most sellers (April through September are the slowest months with July and August being the worst). Things will pick again in October for the holidays.
You can't compare one month to the previous month. To see how you are doing, you need to compare one month to the same month in previous years (omitting 2020 due to COVID which skewed the selling curve for most sellers).
08-17-2021 09:22 PM
Thank you for your insight.
08-17-2021 10:04 PM
For the small amount of items you have listed, I see actually excellent sales, with the usual small drop-outs every seller (particularly small sellers) experiences. Having a store or not doesn't make any difference - though I know it's natural to look for reasons for coincidences.
08-18-2021 05:32 AM
Thank you for your response.
08-18-2021 07:01 AM
August is always a rough month for me!
vacations
state fairs
back to school / college
outdoor activities
08-18-2021 07:14 AM
Opening a store would not cause your sales to decrease - if anything, it should offer an easier way for a potential buyer to purchase multiples from you, search your offerrings.
How long did you wait before you closed the store you had opened?
Our sales thru July were a little slower. They have picked up since then, especially as Buyers are purchasing Halloween and many are already buying Christmas ornaments.
How many new listings do you do per day? Per week? When we consistently list, we consistently sell.
Good luck to you! Be safe.
08-18-2021 03:23 PM
At first, I was listing a lot and selling a lot. It 'seemed' to slow down when I opened the store. I do know that at a certain point I didn't list for a while. I'm trying to be more consistent with new listings. I had the store for a few months and didn't sell much. Well, it looks like it's in consistent listings? Thank you for your reply.
08-18-2021 03:36 PM
There are rhythyms to selling, which is why comparing sales to the same month/previous year is more useful than month to month comparisons.
But at the moment with 200(?) Free Listings without a Store subscription, there is little reason to pay for one.
There are a few other perks, the quarterly shipping supplies allowance and the slightly lower FVF, for example.
But until you can consistently list more lots than you have "free" listings, the perks are not worth it.
08-18-2021 04:13 PM
@thetradingpost517 wrote:At first, I was listing a lot and selling a lot. It 'seemed' to slow down when I opened the store. I do know that at a certain point I didn't list for a while. I'm trying to be more consistent with new listings. I had the store for a few months and didn't sell much. Well, it looks like it's in consistent listings? Thank you for your reply.
@thetradingpost517 Consistency in listing is key to sales, particularly for smaller sellers.
08-18-2021 04:46 PM
@thetradingpost517 wrote:At first, I was listing a lot and selling a lot. It 'seemed' to slow down when I opened the store. I do know that at a certain point I didn't list for a while. I'm trying to be more consistent with new listings. I had the store for a few months and didn't sell much. Well, it looks like it's in consistent listings? Thank you for your reply.
Yes - the more you list, the more you will sell. There is a correlation. Good luck to you! Stay safe!
08-18-2021 05:35 PM
Well at least when sales are slow you have less chance of being scammed. eBay promotes these stores as a way to increase sales but it just a way for them to take more money from you.
08-18-2021 10:27 PM
I opened my store many years ago. Sales are just pathetic right now. I do not believe it has anything to do with the fact you just opened. 4 days into the week & I haven't even sold $100 yet! I got $500 in just 5 hours at the flea market! Most of my best stuff sits collecting dust on eBay. I took 3 items I have on eBay & posted them on Kijiji. Within a few hours, 1 sold for $400! We cannot rely on eBay sales to pay the bills. Good luck to us all. 🙂
08-19-2021 08:03 AM
@dentalrprtek2012 wrote:eBay promotes these stores as a way to increase sales but it just a way for them to take more money from you.
Not sure how you do your math...
My store subscription cost is way less per month than I would pay in listing fees without a store. On top of that, my FVFs are lower with a store. On top of that, eBay pays for $200 worth of shipping supplies per year.
09-01-2021 11:47 AM
Sales are off about 20% in August, shortly after the disorderly exit from Afghanistan.