Postal Outlet Comments About eBay

This is not a complaint ... simply a few notes about a conversation I had with the Postal Outlet manager this morning.

 

I dropped off a couple of packages and, because it was quiet in the store, I asked him if he had received any comments from the regular eBay sellers who use that outlet.  He said that, in the last few months, the number of parcels brought in has dropped dramatically.  He said it wasn't unusual, after a weekend, to have as many as 100 to 150 parcels (from eBay sellers) in the Monday pick-up.  He says that now, on most Mondays, there might 25 to 30.  And sellers who used to bring in 10 to 20 a day... he says they only come in the store about twice a week now with a few packages.  And the refrain is the same -- no sales.

 

I asked him if he and his friends ever shop on eBay (he's about 25 or so).  He said that he had a few times in the past but, the last couple of years, he never even thinks about that site.  Depending what he's shopping for, he uses Amazon, Staples, Best Buy, Costco or manufacturer's websites because they all offer free, fast and tracked shipping.  He went on to say that he's amazed that eBay is even "a thing" anymore, which made me laugh.

 

Anyway, his comments didn't surprise me ... it just confirmed what I had been thinking.  I was little surprised, however, by the overall decrease in number of packages.

 

So, a few thoughts from a millennial (him, not me) Smiley Happy

 

 

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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay

157 million active buyers

25 million active sellers

800 million listings

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Message 2 of 46
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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay

157 million active buyers

25 million active sellers

800 million listings

 

 

 

But how many sales? That is the bottom line.

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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay

How many sales?

 

US$ 20,195,000,000 sales by eBay sellers in the first quarter this year.

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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay


@jt-libra wrote:

This is not a complaint ... simply a few notes about a conversation I had with the Postal Outlet manager this morning.

 

I dropped off a couple of packages and, because it was quiet in the store, I asked him if he had received any comments from the regular eBay sellers who use that outlet.  He said that, in the last few months, the number of parcels brought in has dropped dramatically.  He said it wasn't unusual, after a weekend, to have as many as 100 to 150 parcels (from eBay sellers) in the Monday pick-up.  He says that now, on most Mondays, there might 25 to 30.  And sellers who used to bring in 10 to 20 a day... he says they only come in the store about twice a week now with a few packages.  And the refrain is the same -- no sales.

 

I asked him if he and his friends ever shop on eBay (he's about 25 or so).  He said that he had a few times in the past but, the last couple of years, he never even thinks about that site.  Depending what he's shopping for, he uses Amazon, Staples, Best Buy, Costco or manufacturer's websites because they all offer free, fast and tracked shipping.  He went on to say that he's amazed that eBay is even "a thing" anymore, which made me laugh.

 

Anyway, his comments didn't surprise me ... it just confirmed what I had been thinking.  I was little surprised, however, by the overall decrease in number of packages.

 

So, a few thoughts from a millennial (him, not me) Smiley Happy

 

 


His former customers can probably be found heading South on Hwy 75.........

 

 



"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.
Message 5 of 46
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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay

Our wee post office very much notices the income from ebay sellers like myself (our population is 350 and the post office is right "downtown"). I think we are a main component that's kept it alive!

 

Many things are affecting the PO's revenue from us eBayers, some folks who are using the online labels etc don't generate much if any revenue for the accepting PO. Of course mine loves me because I buy a lot of real stamps and put a lot of current postage on my parcels.

 

Our wee PO doesn't have as many packages as in the colder months but that is not abnormal. There is still stuff coming in, last week a car bumper came in!!!!

 

Regarding my own sales, the quantity has been dropping, I've seen another drop since the beginning of June, don't really know why.

 

I do see that in my own category (stamps) that there is a very significant increase in the number of foreign sellers selling their material online as opposed to a few years ago. This causes seriously greater competition for me because in the old days I was one of the few guys selling Japan mixtures, now me and about a zillion guys from Japan are selling Japan mixtures. I also think the folks in the US aren't staying as loyal to buying only from the USA and or Canada as they were in the past, which also drives more sales overseas and of course away from me. (I must also remember that I'm also a "foreigner" to folks in the USA)

 

As Cumos is often advising, I am working to evolve in the right direction, which will be a bit easier if I ever figure out the right direction!

 

 

 

 

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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay

$200 BILLION combined volume
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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay


@pierrelebel wrote:

How many sales?

 

US$ 20,195,000,000 sales by eBay sellers in the first quarter this year.


I have no trouble believing that and it doesn't surprise me at all.  I haven't done an analysis and I wouldn't spend the time trying to find the figures, but I'm sure a good portion of those sales have been by Chinese, Korean or Japanese merchants.  They don't tend to use my postal outlet so they can't account for the decline in packages there, unless you view this in terms of "someone's gain can be another person's loss".

 

ricarmic stated that:  "I do see that in my own category (stamps) that there is a very significant increase in the number of foreign sellers selling their material online as opposed to a few years ago. This causes seriously greater competition for me because in the old days I was one of the few guys selling Japan mixtures, now me and about a zillion guys from Japan are selling Japan mixtures. I also think the folks in the US aren't staying as loyal to buying only from the USA and or Canada as they were in the past, which also drives more sales overseas and of course away from me. (I must also remember that I'm also a "foreigner" to folks in the USA).

 

There certainly is more competition in many categories.  When we're shopping in retail stores, we can't help but buy products made in China because they're everywhere.  However, online I like to make a point of buying first from Canadians and then Americans.  Most people are probably not that loyal.  One example is the media category .... thousands of DVD's from Korea and other Asian countries which show up in the first pages of a search.  The disc itself, I assume, is probably fine, but I personally would not want a DVD case with the Chinese language.  Others are not as fussy and they buy these DVD's in countless numbers.

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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay

"...I'm sure a good portion of those sales have been by Chinese, Korean or Japanese merchants. ..."

 

By far the largest percentage of sales come from American sellers.  It has always been like that on eBay.  The percentage of sales by Canadians has always been small. I would guess around 2% of the total, and not increasing.

 

And while the overall eBay sales by sellers have increased over the years, it is quite possible that the total volume of sales by Canadians has been stagnant.

 

Total sales by eBay sellers in 2012:  US$ 67,690,000,000

 

Total sales by eBay sellers in 2013:  US$ 76,431,000,000

 

Total sales by eBay sellers in 2014:  US$ 82,954,000,000

 

The overall growth is pretty obvious (eBay does not publish figures by Canadians). 

 

Now, even if sales by Canadian sellers had remained even over the last few years (while the rest of the world is growing), the local postal station may have noticed a decline in the number of parcels for which they sold postage for eBay's business. 

There are many factors including the fact that more Canadian sellers purchase their postage online to get discounts and do not need to go to the PO to buy it.  Others use forwarding services shipping through USPS and - based on posts on these boards - these businesses seem to be growing quickly.  Again these are parcels not seen by the local post office.  Also, a large percentage of sales by Canadians are in the lettermail/letterpost variety (including light packet).  These shipments do not require bringing anything to the local post office.  Finally another factor is that a growing number of Canadian sellers use discount postage to send their letters/parcels.  That is one way to fight the constantly increasing rates by Canada Post.

 

Now, when looking at the very substantial decrease suggested by your local manager, it does not fit with the overall Canadian perspective.  Things may be slow on eBay.ca in some categories and some area but the decrease is certainly not as pronounced as suggested.  In its most recent financial report, Canada Post has stated that the parcel division saw a growth rate of 9.2% last year and most of that is due to online transactions.

 

Why your local manager thinks his business has dropped that much is a mystery to me.

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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay

Addressing the comment on the millenials not buying on eBay or even knowing it was a "thing" any longers - Millenials like the flashy showy cheap we'll get it to you fast online retail sites such as those you mentioned in your post

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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay

I know that my son (18) does everything through his phone. I do not know where or how he finds things but I do know that he has no idea what country they are in when he buys them, he does not care or even pay attention. He got a backpack that came from Britain, it was in a box that got smashed flat in transit (but no harm to the bag), when I got it (I'm the guy that goes to the PO!) I asked him what he got from Great Britain and he had no idea till he opened the box, that was the first time he even knew what country it came from....

I am of perhaps the incorrect opinion that the bulk of my customer base (stamp collectors) are not as ingrained into social media as kids are, although a lot are using phones to buy it seems....
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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay


@ricarmic wrote:
I know that my son (18) does everything through his phone. I do not know where or how he finds things but I do know that he has no idea what country they are in when he buys them, he does not care or even pay attention. He got a backpack that came from Britain, it was in a box that got smashed flat in transit (but no harm to the bag), when I got it (I'm the guy that goes to the PO!) I asked him what he got from Great Britain and he had no idea till he opened the box, that was the first time he even knew what country it came from....

I am of perhaps the incorrect opinion that the bulk of my customer base (stamp collectors) are not as ingrained into social media as kids are, although a lot are using phones to buy it seems....

62% of all transactions are touched by a mobile device at some point.

 

Because I do not have one, and in fact, only ever held one in my hand, twice, maybe I have an enhanced perspective. I do not see mobile device usage to be any different between kids and 60 year olds. Matter-o-fact, older folk tend to buy bigger, better, more add-on features because they can afford them: "Gotta keep in contact with the kids and grandkids". 5.8 BILLION mobile devices out there in this world.

 

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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay


@pierrelebel wrote:

 

Now, even if sales by Canadian sellers had remained even over the last few years (while the rest of the world is growing), the local postal station may have noticed a decline in the number of parcels for which they sold postage for eBay's business.   There are many factors including the fact that more Canadian sellers purchase their postage online to get discounts and do not need to go to the PO to buy it.  Others use forwarding services shipping through USPS and - based on posts on these boards - these businesses seem to be growing quickly.  Again these are parcels not seen by the local post office.  Also, a large percentage of sales by Canadians are in the lettermail/letterpost variety (including light packet).  These shipments do not require bringing anything to the local post office.  Finally another factor is that a growing number of Canadian sellers use discount postage to send their letters/parcels.  That is one way to fight the constantly increasing rates by Canada Post.

 

You're absolutely right about the various ways sellers purchase their postage.  I purchase all my labels online and have sufficient stamps on hand to affix to lettermail.  BUT I still go into the drugstore where the postal outlet is located to drop them off.  Sometimes it's because I want the clerk to scan the expedited labels; sometimes I need stamps or usually I just need to purchase something in the drugstore.  The parcels I was referring to (which the manager said had decreased) have also physically been dropped off by other sellers in the neighbourhood.  So the manager (who also works behind the counter for full shifts) has first-hand knowledge of the number of parcels being dropped off.  I live in a highly populated area -- lots of apartment blocks -- and the mailbox in the strip mall where the postal outlet is located is usually full.  It's difficult to throw in a dozen or more letters, let alone parcels.  So we've all gotten in the habit of dropping them off personally.  And it's a friendly place to meet and visit.

 

Why your local manager thinks his business has dropped that much is a mystery to me.

 

Well, he really doesn't think that, he knows for certain how many parcels used to go through his outlet.


 

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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay

"... after a weekend, to have as many as 100 to 150 parcels (from eBay sellers) in the Monday pick-up.  He says that now, on most Mondays, there might 25 to 30.  ..."

 

With all due respect to that manager, those numbers do not make sense.  That drop (75% or so) is certainly not representative of your own business or the majority of other Canadian eBay sellers.

 

"...he knows for certain "

 

Oh boy.  I remember (vaguely) the "good old days" when I was 25 and knew everything.  Nearly half a century later, I now know I knew so little.  Ah, to be 25 again. Smiley Happy

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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay

Hi Mr.E! Well I'm not quite a 60 year old yet. I of course have to use my phone if I ever have a hope to communicate with my son, and daughter, however, I only use my phone just like I use my computer. I don't do facebook, pinterest, tweeting, etc. My suspicion, from the "old timers" I know, is that, if they have equipment, they have the equipment to stay in touch, like I do, but they do not usually default to the various social media aspects for everything like the kids do. I could of course be wrong but that's my perspective.

I in fact have somewhere around 100 customers who don't have or even believe in computers, so the stamp world definitely bridges many generations and styles of communication. Those folks get my quarterly pricelists printed the old fashioned way on paper if one can imagine!
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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay

pierrelebel wrote:

"... after a weekend, to have as many as 100 to 150 parcels (from eBay sellers) in the Monday pick-up.  He says that now, on most Mondays, there might 25 to 30.  ..."

 

With all due respect to that manager, those numbers do not make sense.  That drop (75% or so) is certainly not representative of your own business or the majority of other Canadian eBay sellers.

 

Actually, after a really good six-month period ending in March, the last 3 months my sales are in fact down 75%.  I've basically covered my expenses and that's it.  I can't speak for other sellers.  But there certainly are many threads indicating that a lot of sellers are experiencing this drop in sales.

 

"...he knows for certain "

 

Oh boy.  I remember (vaguely) the "good old days" when I was 25 and knew everything.  Nearly half a century later, I now know I knew so little.  Ah, to be 25 again. Smiley Happy

 

Well, I would venture to say that this young man probably has better eyesight than someone your age, so he's perfectly capable of viewing the number of parcels handled through his outlet.  I don't know why you find this so hard to believe.  


 

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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay

"I don't know why you find this so hard to believe. "

Because the numbers speak for themselves. They are facts and not some 25 year old's impression.
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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay


@73rhc wrote:
"I don't know why you find this so hard to believe. "

Because the numbers speak for themselves. They are facts and not some 25 year old's impression.

Jeez.  I'm talking about one postal outlet, okay.  And it wasn't an impression, which is something I've stated more than once in this thread.   I don't understand why people want to make something out of nothing.

 

You know, when I first started this post, I was going to add to my first sentence:  This is not a complaint ..... so, please, don't trot out the sales numbers again or make irrelevant, sarcastic remarks.  The post was made up of a few simple comments I thought I'd pass along for those who might be interested. 

 

For those who weren't interested, move along to the next thread and just chill, for crying out loud.

 

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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay

its quite possibly (likely) the postal outlets are seeing reduced traffic.  Which can happen even if ebay doesn't have reduced sale, and really happen as CP has parcel growth.  Outlets deal with retail customers.  Staples, toysrus, walmart etc don't take their parcels to a local outlet.  The larger sellers have increased their share vs the tiny sellers who would ever have reason to go to an outlet.  Add in ebay forcasting 0-5% growth for the next 2 years, CP consistently making it harder for retail customers in Canada, fulfilment by amzn being by far the fastest growth area for them, and chitchat and similar bypassing CP

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Postal Outlet Comments About eBay

My sales always decline over the summer months, and if others see the same pattern as I do, and if that outlet is heavy on eBay items I'm not surprised that the clerk noticed a change.

 

These things fluctuate.

 

 

 

 

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