Every week, Hendrik Laubscher will be providing third party sellers with a selection of news stories that they need to be aware of. As a Prosper Show participant we strive to ensure that you can focus on your business while we handle all the industry news.The past week has been a quiet one as it is Labor Day today (Happy Labor Day Folks) and we are starting to build momentum to the peak selling season. The week’s top news was on a Large eBay bookseller testing category rules, Amazon Mexico integrates with sellers via a new partner and a controversial Etsy seller leaves the platform.
A mega merchant that calls itself the nation’s largest seller of used books has loaded millions of listings on eBay under at least 9 different accounts. A reader noticed the listings are showing up on top of Best Match search results, but they are not yet available for sale. “They have flooded the site, making legitimate listings falling down in the views,” the reader said. This is a situation other sellers despises – a new competitor in your category which has a large number of products that are either not for sale yet or are priced really low. I must say when I read about this it raised a lot of issues for me and one in which I can sympathize with sellers. The mere fact that the products are not able to be purchased by customers is a huge problem. Do you know the rules of the categories in which you sell on the various marketplaces? Read more here.
Amazon Mexico has secured a deal with a Web-based eCommerce shipping solution to help expedite shipping of goods from its newly launched site. ShipStation — which helps eCommerce retailers import, organize, process, package and ship orders — is now integrated into Amazon’s Mexico marketplace, which enables Amazon.com.mx to get its millions of items into consumers’ hands quicker. This is the quickest I have seen a third party integration for any Amazon business. Mexico is clearly a region in which Amazon is looking to grow aggressively and this solution provides sellers with a new market in which they can sell their items. Read more here.
An article from last week on Yahoo Makers attempts to explain what happened, calling it a cruel summer for Etsy and Shaffer’s business relationship. “Squabbles with Etsy, criticism from craft purists who resented Shaffer’s dabbles in mainstream manufacturing, and the success of her independent Three Bird Nest website (where Shaffer now sells the bulk of her product line) have taken their toll.” This is a story that is being repeated in many craft marketplaces. When sellers are borderline between mass production and handmade quantities. In the long-run it is critical that sellers are very clear from the outset that they understand what is the definition of mass production in the eyes of the marketplace. Read more here.
Till next week. Onwards.
Recent Comments