***eBay Workshop: Understanding the eBay Store, Tuesday, November 9, 2004. 1:30-2:30 PM ET

[carly@ebay.com]

Host: eBay.ca Seller Development Group

Date: Tuesday, 11/09

Time: 1:30 - 2:30 EDT

Location: Selling on eBay Board

Description: A discussion on how eBay members can expand their business with an eBay Store.
eBay Stores are a special part of eBay where individual sellers can show other eBay members all of their listings and tell them more about their business through their own customized pages. Most eBay Stores include Store Inventory items - additional fixed price (Buy It Now) items not available in regular search results and categories on eBay. This means millions of eBay members have access to millions of additional items when they search or browse in eBay Stores.

* Please note: This workshop will not cover the "how to" use various functions of eBay Stores, but will focus on the business strategy of using an eBay Store.

Agenda: Introduction - Three steps to determine if one should open an eBay Store.

Strategy 1 - Reducing your costs to increase margin
Strategy 2 - Direct potential eBay members to your listings
Strategy 3 - Tools to manage your eBay Store

We look forward to your questions (posted here prior to, or during the event) and participation during the workshop.

Regards,
Totsuka
eBay.ca Team

[pierrelebel]

It would be interesting to get your perspective on eBay.com vs eBay.ca store.

I have had a store one eBay.com since the beginning and am very happy with its results.

I also had one on eBay.ca which I closed after six months.

So the question becomes:

"Why open a store on eBay.ca when the majority of sellers (including Canadian sellers) go to eBay.com ?

[alakapcc]

How do I post a new topic on these forums?

[able-wizard1957]

Scroll down to the bottom of the first page of each board (the page where you see all the titles of items that members have posted). There's a 'discussion' button, click that.

[able-wizard1957]

Question for the workshop (or anyone else who may know): If I open a store on .com but continue listing my auctions on .ca, will my .ca auctions show up in my .com store? Or will I need to list my auctions on .com.

Thanks
Stephanie

[pierrelebel]

"will my .ca auctions show up in my .com store?"

Yes.

All listings, auctions, Buy-it-Now or inventory store items listed anywhere on eBay.com or any of the twenty eBay international sites will appear in your eBay.com store.

However, since you have a store on eBay.com, offering US$, it makes much more sense to always list on eBay.com in US$ unless you have an item of interest to a very specific market where it would make sense to list on that site in that currency. For example, an old British coin will most likely attract more buyers if listed on eBay.uk in Pound Sterling than on eBay.ca in Cdn$.

[able-wizard1957]

Thank you, Pierre. As always, you have nice clear answers with some extra very useful information!

Steph

[totsuka@ebay.com]

Hello All,
We would like to extend you a warm welcome to the eBay Stores' workshop.

The workshop will focus on three business strategies for using an eBay Store,
and will not cover the "how-to" use various functions of eBay Stores.

Please note that the business strategy material used in
this workshop is for information/educational purpose. The results in a true
eBay environment may differ from the examples presented, or by one member to
another, due to item price, product description, feedback score, and other factors
not listed herein. We refer to using an eBay Store with the following material
as only by way of a recommendation and it does not constitute definitive advice.
To use an eBay Store with or without the material presented today is to be determined
by the individual member.

As there are some postings prior to the workshop, here is a reminder of
the purpose of the workshop and agenda:

Description: A discussion on how eBay members can expand their business
with an eBay Store. eBay Stores are a special part of eBay where individual
sellers can show other eBay members all of their listings and tell them more
about their business through their own customized pages. Most eBay Stores include
Store Inventory items - additional fixed price (Buy It Now) items not available
in regular search results and categories on eBay. This means millions of eBay
members have access to millions of additional items when they search or browse
in eBay Stores.

Agenda:
Introduction - Three steps to determine if one should open an eBay Store.
Strategy 1 - Reducing your costs to increase margin
Strategy 2 - Direct potential eBay members to your listings
Strategy 3 - Tools to manage your eBay Store

Hosted by: Totsuka, eBay.ca Team

Let's begin!

Regards,
Totsuka
eBay.ca Team

[able-wizard1957]

Hi Totsuka - Stephanie here. Hope to soak up all info I can to help decide if I should open a store.

[totsuka@ebay.com]

Introduction - Three steps to determine if one should open an eBay Store.

1. Monthly Supply: Minimum subscription cost to operate an eBay store is $9.95 (see all other subscription fees). It would be cost effective to operate a store if you have more than 30 items to sell per month (where each item is priced more than $1), or minimum of 10 items per month (where each item is priced more than $25 but less than $50), or 2 items per month (where each item is priced at more than $500).


2. Deep Product Selection: eBay Stores allows you to customize up to twenty categories, thus, the potential buyer will see ALL your listings (store inventory or regular auction) in one convenient location. If your goal is to keep the potential buyer in your store, then eBay Stores makes it easier for them to find what they are looking for. It would be like going into a large grocery store and seeing upfront Aisle 1 for dairy, Aisle 2 for meats, and Aisle 3 for snacks, etc… Remember - eBay stores have a built in search engine (e.g. create a search box, or direct link to your products from your regular auction listings or company website)


3. Improve Productivity: No need to relist when you use the unique Store function - Good 'Til Cancelled, as the listing will automatically renew every 30 days until it is sold out or you end it. (Click here for more information)

If none of the above scenarios fit your business model, then an eBay Store may not be an ideal business solution.

Questions, thus far?

[totsuka@ebay.com]

Hello able-wizard1957,

Glad to have you with us during this workshop. I hope the information will fit your business model.

Regards
Totsuka
eBay.ca Team

[able-wizard1957]

Nope. Got it - I need a store LOL

[robyns_place]

Nope I'm good. Just made it more than obvious that I need to put more in my store. lol

[totsuka@ebay.com]

Many members have asked which site to open an eBay Store…

I Want an eBay Store - But Where?

After determining that an eBay Store (click here to open an eBay Store) fits your business model, which eBay site should your store reside (eBay.ca or eBay.com)? It DOES NOT matter where your store resides. The eBay Store strategies covered in this workshop will work to your advantage regardless of site - it's the beauty of the eBay platform.

The main difference between the two is the cost associated with the Store site. eBay.ca Store subscriptions are priced in Canadian dollars (Basic: $9.95/month, and Featured: $49.95/month) where eBay.com Store subscriptions are priced in US dollars. Please note, that the Anchor Store is C$299.95 on eBay.ca and US$499.95 on eBay.com. Other than the subscription price, the choice could be determined by "gut" feeling - does the Seller want to be like a fish in a large sea (eBay.com) or be a fish in a comfortable lake (eBay.ca)

ALL your regular eBay listings will appear in your eBay Store regardless of where your item is listed, or in which currency you wish to list. Potential buyers can visit your eBay Store from ANY eBay site by clicking on your store icon, or on links to your store from within your item listings, or About Me page.

Questions, thus far?

[allmost-round-the-bend]

Hi Totsuka,
Thanks for this seminar.
I haven't really used my store alot, but recently (last week) started to list more BIN items in it.
Does it seem like a sound practice (it may have been mentioned earlier ?) to list BIN items in the store and have one or two "auction items' listed ...which will hopefully lead people to my store?

Lori

[robyns_place]

So you obviously prefer us to open it on .ca then?

[totsuka@ebay.com]

Strategy 1 - Reducing your costs to increase margin

The adage, "spend money to make money" holds true on eBay. However, we will endeavor to focus on spending the right amount of money to make more money than we spend. eBay Stores allow the Seller to list items using Store Inventory Format - At only C$0.02 (or US$0.02 for items listed in US$) for each 30 days, Store Inventory listings are an affordable way to make additional inventory accessible to your eBay buyers. We can thus, reduce our insertion fee cost by using Store Inventory Format, and increase absolute margin (not a percentage) gain.

For example:
You sell 25 CD players, where the cost of a CD player is $20 and is sold for $100 each (insertion fee of $1.65 since the auction started at $35). If you list the CD player for $75 in Store Inventory Format and 40 sell…

Regular Format: $2,000 less insertion fee ($41.25) = $1,958.75

Store Inventory Format: $2200 less insertion fee (0.80) = $2,199.20

Absolute margin gain = $240.45

Another method of reducing cost by using an eBay Store is by participating in the Store Referral Credit program. Basically, promote your eBay.ca Store in emails, printed materials, and other Web sites, for a limited time, eBay will give you a 50% credit on your Final Value Fees when your marketing efforts generate sales of your Store Inventory format listings.

Click here for more information about Store Referral Credit

Questions, thus far?

[able-wizard1957]

We had this from Rodney on a thread on the CTS board about a week ago. So it seems it DOES matter if the store is on .com or .ca:

"Here's where it does matter. If you navigate from the stores hub by browsing or searching for stores by name (http://stores.ebay.ca/, http://stores.ebay.com/), you will only find eBay.ca stores on eBay.ca and eBay.com stores on eBay.com. For that reason, if you are more focused on US exports than Canadian domestic sales, and you don't mind the higher subscription fees, you should open your store on eBay.com.

If you are more focused on the Canadian market, then definitely eBay.ca stores are the better choice."

[totsuka@ebay.com]

Hello bobbin-fobbler,

Thank you for your question "Does it seem like a sound practice (it may have been mentioned earlier ?) to list BIN items in the store and have one or two "auction items' listed ...which will hopefully lead people to my store?"

The answer is yes (I am going to assume that the BIN is Store Inventory Format and not Buy It Now format). Perhaps Strategy 2 will give more light...

Regards,
Totsuka
eBay.ca Team

[pierrelebel]

If I may, I would like to quote from another "pink" regarding the question of opening a store on eBay.ca or eBay.com:

---

"Here's where it does matter. If you navigate from the stores hub by browsing or searching for stores by name (http://stores.ebay.ca/, http://stores.ebay.com/), you will only find eBay.ca stores on eBay.ca and eBay.com stores on eBay.com.
For that reason, if you are more focused on US exports than Canadian domestic sales, and you don't mind the higher subscription fees, you should open your store on eBay.com.

If you are more focused on the Canadian market, then definitely eBay.ca stores are the better choice."

---

It should be noted that for basic stores, the "higher fees" work out to about Cdn$ 2.00 a month only (US$ 9.95 vs Cdn$ 9.95).

Based on my own experience, I have had a store on eBay.com from Day One and am happy with the results (I sell to a wordwide audience). I had a store on eBay.ca earlier this year for items of interest to Canadians, priced in Canadian dollars, and closed it within six months.