Could you sell on Overstock UK?

Overstock announced in February that will be expanding to the UK and Europe this summer. I met some of their staff at Catalyst US and today Jake Bailey, Director of International Business at Overstock, gave TameBay the inside track regarding their UK launch.

On the launch date Overstock will ship to International customers through a freight forwarder in the U.S. This initial service will allow UK customers to shop in pounds sterling, with the product shipped from the U.S.

The range of products on sale will not differ too much from what Overstock offer in the U.S. Obviously, some products are just too expensive to ship internationally (like furniture), so these types of issues are being worked through prior to the launch.

Overstock are always looking for additional third-party sellers or “partners”. They are currently seeking international third-party sellers that can ship both domestically and into the U.S. (a UK seller for example, that could fulfill orders in the UK and directly into the U.S.) With the initial launch, they will mainly use sellers from the U.S., but are already seeking international sellers for future expansion. Overstock would welcome any sellers that would have an interest in partnering with them, especially if their products can fill a gap in Overstocks product portfolio. The main qualifier is that the seller offers product to Overstock customers at the best price on the Internet.

When asked if there is a place for the small seller on Overstock, they described themselves as “agnostic to seller size”. What’s most important is that the seller takes good care of customers and supplies product at a competitive price. It also depends on the product category, for example, they would want a partner to keep high stock numbers in a fast-selling DVD, but would be happy for a partner that sells very high-end jewelry to only keep a few items in stock.

Overstock currently work with eBay sellers, Amazon sellers, website owners, traditional Bricks/Mortar outlets and larger manufacturers. They have relationships with ChannelAdvisor and Vcommerce and are exploring others. Many of their partners link directly to Overstock through either through an EDI or Shopping API integration.

Overstock are the most serious competitor to enter the marketplace in recent years. eBay and Amazon are likely to watch developments with interest as sellers rush to partner with their newest competitor.

We’re interested in your views – will you sell on Overstock? Are you a US seller that will be selling to the UK? Are you a UK seller that would like to be selling to the UK and US on Overstock when they launch in Europe?