Seeing a -50% reduction in sales compared to any previous year, -50% compared to last quarter also.

[oldedale]

W are seeing a -50% reduction in sales compared to any previous year, -50% compared to last quarter also. This decrease started after eBay moved to Item Specific Searches in Aug/Sept. We saw further reduction in sales after eBay's change/removal of specialized categories. Again another decrease after eBay pushes out Pay per Click PL.  Received email from eBay regarding new PL, email suggests we pay a $5 ad fee to promote a $9 book listing, 4 other suggestions - ad fee range $4-5 or $10 - $25 Listed items. So, we cannot use this new AD FEE PL. Sales are down 50%. TRS, 16 years selling on site. 10 years with antique store on eBay. What do we do now? Current sales levels have caused us to close store subscription as profits do not justify cost of store anymore.  Any other sellers in same situation? Does eBay management realize the cost of these new change to search/PL program? Any advice?

[katzrul15]

@oldedale 

On Promoted Listings - we do not pay attention to what e-Bay "suggests".

What type of store did you have?  For a Basic store with an annual fee, I would think based on the prices of your items, having a store would help you, not be something you could not cover easily with your sales?

Do you run promotions (i.e. percentage off sales?)

[ludamo83]

dont run promotions

[oldedale]

We had a basic store last 3 years, mid-level prior to that one. All our listings are already in PL at recommended rates. Almost a complete stoppage of sales after we ended store subscriptions 4 days ago. Traffic decreased 50% after store closing and ending of 150 listings. We had 400 active listings entire year, 12K in inventory. This generated 2K per month in sales Jan-July, 900 per month after the changes.

[stainlessenginecovers]

Seems 'of course' your traffic and sales would decrease AFTER you ended 150 listings?

You had 400 active listings; assuming without looking, items are all a '1 of' since they are antiques. You probably sold all the better items, more wanted items. 

Look at any garage sale, and I've had them annually for 40 years; I put out 1000 items, 300 sell on Saturday, 50 on Sunday and the rest nobody wanted. If I tried to do a garage sale with the left overs (which I tried twice); nobody wanted what was left; maybe $20-$30. Now I know- just donate the rest after the 1 weekend.

[cambriachick]

I'm in the same boat on a much smaller scale.  I feel I have to use PL or they'll never show my items, but I just put 1% on everything.  It doesn't do you any good to pay big fees if you're not making money.

[m_pthisandthat]

Sales down 90% since the changes sold 2 items in November down from an average of 12 to 14 per month. Still working on item specifics and getting listings back into the correct category. A word of caution to ALL sellers make sure you check all of your listings to see what category ebay has now placed the lisiting. You maybe surprised to find what category they are now in. One of my favorites is my listing for wine glasses is they are now candlesticks or vases. One can only hope the ship will right itself.

[jda04121]

Perhaps it is as simple as you are not selling things people are looking for right now.