Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

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AuctionBytes Blog
News and insight focusing on
ecommerce and the online auction industry
by Ina Steiner, Editor of AuctionBytes.com

June 10, 2008

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

By: Ina Steiner

Tue June 10 2008 15:39:13

I'm at the Internet Retailer conference in Chicago, and things are hopping on the show floor. Small etailers generally mean less than $10 million in annual sales - or $50 or even $100 million - to many of the exhibitors. But there are plenty of vendors who offer something for smaller sellers as well.

I've run into plenty of AuctionBytes readers - sellers, such as Kevin Harmon of Inflatable Madness and Cathy Aggelopoulos of IMA (Internet Merchants Association) - as well as vendors, such as folks from Infopia, ChannelAdvisor, BuySafe, Liquidation.com, SingleFeed, Endicia, uPic and Zoovy.... Other services of interest include LaGarde, Revolution Money, LinkShare and Strands.... Still much more of the show floor to see.

One vendor that caught my attention is StoneEdge Technologies, which I hope to learn more about. There are various tracks, one geared toward smaller merchants. I plan to attend a session called "How to Manage Third-Party Store Platform Relationships" with OneWayFurniture.com.

Lots to do and see. Rumor du jour in the eBay related area is that it will change its fee structure to take commission on shipping and handling charges in conjunction with the specified shipping policy coming in July. Another rumor has it that eBay will change its shipping calculator (or use as an adjunct) an API to determine the exact shipping charges from a seller's third-party service or shipping service, for example. With eBay Live coming to the same venue in Chicago next week, we may find out soon.

I've asked people I meet to come and add their comments about the show - what they are hearing from merchants, whether they think it is a good place for retailers to attend next year - I hope we'll see some comments, though the show isn't over til Thursday.

I'll have lot of photos to post tonight, so stay tuned!

Comments (35) | Permalink

Readers Comments

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: Kirk

Tue Jun 10 19:43:54 2008

Wowie they are going all Joseph Stalin at Ebay now. You gotta wonder - what's next. No wonder they are going to skip ebay live next year.

Who could be happy that ?

Maybe this is going to fix ebay somehow. Will this help sellers in some way. I'd like to see what they calling this wonder fix. Grabbing hands grab all they can. : (

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: tj

Tue Jun 10 20:29:40 2008

Bet this eBay live will be very noisy?. Taking a cut from S&H has been on the cards for a while now, but will FVF be reduced over-all or just another fee increase...eBay is just toooo expensive for it's dieing traffic (in many categories)

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: Laura

Tue Jun 10 20:36:32 2008

Doesn't ebay/paypal already get a cut when a seller uses paypal to ship labels with USPS?

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: drew11

Tue Jun 10 21:06:34 2008

We are all just waiting for the shoe to drop with FVF on shipping. No doubt ebay will find a way to screw up the roll out like they did last week on the new shipping rate maximums in Germany.

Note to Donahue: Quality ebay sellers have other options and are leaving. They are innovating and leaving ebay. Junk sellers have no options and are staying! Doh!

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: tj

Tue Jun 10 21:51:38 2008

This is the real con..EBAY INC YOU ALREADY GET A CUT ON S&H FROM THE PP FEE..or does that not count!!!!

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: RicRoe

Wed Jun 11 00:49:18 2008

I would not be surprised to see PayPal spin off from under eBay and become a separate entity.

eBay preparing to charge a fee on shipping and handling is just the corporate executives plan to assure eBay maintains revenue levels if it does decide to spin PayPal off, or to increase revenue if it chooses not to while still allowing PayPal to have high revenues as a newly independent entity.

eBay is already a venue that has become unaffordable. Add horrendous customer service, discriminated listing visibility, onerous feedback policy which discriminates against low volume sellers and you have the perfect storm.

eBay cheerleaders will have a hard time defending their positions if/when this policy is announced.

Smaller venues will see increased listing volume as well as an influx of buyers that will be incredible if this plan comes to fruition.

eBay stock has been struggling under $30 all week, and if this plan is announced, may never see that mark again anytime in the near future.

Listings which were over 16 million back in March/April are now at 13.8 million despite the addition of of buy.com listings. Page views are down, and I bet that sales will drop significantly in Q3 when figures come out.

It sure seems that eBay's sharpshooting executive team is hitting the bullseye -the problem is the target appears to have been painted on their shoes.

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: Patricia

Wed Jun 11 01:34:24 2008

Greedy ole Ebay slicing a larger and larger piece of that same ole pie until there's nothing left...its coming ebay and don't ever try to say you're sorry cause it will be too late. I have my camera all ready... I want pictures of the ebay suits on the unemployment line! LOL

www.ACEOart.net

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: The Graduate

Wed Jun 11 01:46:07 2008

I hope eBay does charge FVF on shipping. It will be one more reason for sellers to migrate to alternative sites.
eBay's competition needs the help, and who better to do the job than eBay? eBay can drive more sellers there than any one of us could ever attract. And, the success of the smaller selling venues is something that eBay knows is a potential threat.

If you really want to strike back at eBay, support their competition.

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: angyjim

Wed Jun 11 09:30:47 2008

Please eBay, add a FVF for shipping - and also institute more fees for anything else your management can possibly dredge up. Anything to see this company put itself out of business as quickly as possible.

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: laura

Wed Jun 11 09:49:56 2008

Yes Ebay does already get a cut of the Shipping and /or handeling charges from users that use paypal, But I would HAVE to believe that they have some deal worked out with shipping services to get a cut too. Anyone who ship large volumes gets these deals. I can't believe Ebay isn't.

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: HUH?

Wed Jun 11 10:08:22 2008

WHY IS EBAY GOING TO INCLUDE SHIPPING AND HANDLING IN THE FVF?

THEY DON'T PROVIDE THAT SERVICE, ....
I (WE) DO !!!!!

total f-ing b.s.

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: Beady Eye Guy

Wed Jun 11 14:46:37 2008

Okay, if they wanna play that game, I will lower my shipping (not that I gouge) and build it into my main cost of goods. Here's the dilemma...if I charge exactly what the USPS says it costs to ship, are they still taking a fee?

Why should we lose on shipping costs too?

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: Alison

Wed Jun 11 15:18:32 2008

This is crazy. I was a power seller in 2004-2005, took sometime off and came back in the spring. This is all so frustrating now. I do this to earn some extra $ but I do not want to work for free. I now have several NPB where I believe a few years ago I had maybe 2. I do not even clear on after filing do I really have to wait 8 days to relist. Time to leave but where should I go. I only list 20-30 items a week, not junkie closeouts my sales are around $5500 Apr-Jun (according to dash board) Anyone have any direction for me. Thanks

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: Jeanne

Wed Jun 11 16:00:00 2008

Ina:

Thanks for being in Chicago and getting more good information for your blog. I enjoy your posts and learn something with each post.

I don't learn much from the majority of the 'eBay haters'. Who is holding a gun to their head to make them stay with eBay?

I don't have time, energy or inclination to hate anything or anyone.

Thanks again for the good information.

Jeanne

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: dimes

Wed Jun 11 16:07:20 2008

Many of the people who post here have been eBay customers (either sellers or buyers or both) for many years.

It's not eBay that is ''hated'', it's the way that the current management has chosen to operate the site.

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: Peter Leeflang/CEO of Leeflang Archives Corporatio

Wed Jun 11 17:23:50 2008

It suprises me that US sellers are still not in an uproar about eBay Germany introducing maximum shipping prices allowed to be charged in 34 categories.

It s bound to happen in a few months on the US site.

An exodus of teh few great sellers wiill be the consequence. Mediocrity will that way become the standard, as the best sellers often charge the buyers for their excellent packaging, insurance, payment services and choice of carriers in the s/h. If that cannot be paid anymore by the buyer, it wil simply not be offered anymore.

If Ebay suggests that sellers can just up their prices, they are wrong. It would be like comparting apples and pears. Ebay wants to make mediocre seller's prices for the same product comparable with excellent sellers, but they cannot be comparable as they are different by definition. Until now the difference was shown in 'different s/h'.

Ebay is attempting to make the pricing totally untransparant to the buyer, in fact trying to mislead buyers that all sellers are equal and all their products and services are equal.

I'm not surprised that socialist infested Ebay wants that.

Egalitarianism is in their blood.

Unfortunately, one cannot have one's cake and eat it too. IOW, the mob of Ebay people and those Ebay buyers who want something for nothing, will see that they can't have a 'great buyer experience' and simultaneously not want to foot the bill going with that.

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: Honeybun

Wed Jun 11 17:46:03 2008

Is this just a tactic to make the whole eBay site FREE SHIPPING? This is what they have been harping about for months now, and adding charges to shipping just makes more sense for sellers to have Free Shipping!

I know the good ol' eBay days are gone, but boy do I miss them!

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: morefun!!!!

Wed Jun 11 19:14:29 2008

Let's see..another rumour, followed by another botched announcement, which gives us a buggy change...under the guise of doing it for the good of the buyer community!
Oh, and don't worry, you'll really make more money because you'll be fairer to the buyer :). These people are smoking crack in the board room..they must be.
Even a grade school entrepreneur can see the folly in this.

Keep the puke bucket handy for the sellers...as dysentery follows..

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: buy.com

Wed Jun 11 23:55:24 2008

Guess who won't be paying that shipping FVG fee that rest of the Level Playing field will be paying -- me!! Wa-hoo.

Also, you know what is cool, when Donahue rolls out the new the new fee you know what they are gonna call it -- a fee reduction! Wa-hoo! That will get Wall Street all happy.

This is Double-Plus-Good!!!

Seriously, all the mid-level good sellers are going, the bad ones will not and do not care. It is insult after insult in a contract of adhesion where good = bad, neutral = negative, fee decreases = fee increases.

Is Donahue's fortune tied to the stock performance short-term?

What are the DSRs for eBay from its customer?

When the next excutive comes in to undo all this crap, will Donahue pay a price, or join Mike McCaskey, John Delorian, et al in the record books.

Guess double digit growth was not enough -- better to ''disrupt'' it, regardless of who it screws.

I am glad to read his Mom still likes him. The rest of us get a little ticked when ruins our lives.

Rock on!

Internet Retailer Conference Draws Serious Sellers

by: buy.com

Wed Jun 11 23:58:08 2008

Hey Peter Leeflang - they are not solciasts, they are Republicans -- screw the little guy, preach to Wall Street, etc. Wake Up! They disdain you and your noise!

And I am capitalist, not a socialsist!

Why doesn't everyone buy a $5 item from buy.com today and Neut them -- what would eBay do?? Better than a boycott!

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