It’s day two of the seller strike and I wondered just how much effect it may be having on the site. It’s difficult to tell, but one thing’s for certain. The number of listings on eBay.co.uk is well up compared to earlier this week. That’s not altogether surprising considering there was a 5p cheap listing day for auctions yesterday, but the numbers are astounding.
On Monday 28th April when I checked there were 6,996,764 active listings on the site. This morning there are 9,100,154 listings live, or a touch over two million additional listings since the beginning of the week.
Whether that number would have been significantly different had there not been a strike is almost impossible to tell. One thing is for sure, there’s a lot less noise in the press concerning the strike than for the previous strike in February.
It’s time for the strikers to change their approach to eBay. Rather than focus on the negative side of eBay it’s time to focus on the positives of running a multi-channel business. Instead of publicising a boycott of eBay (who have about a 25% share of all ecommerce in the UK) it’s time to publicise the fact that if you’re business is solely on eBay you’re missing out on the remaining 75% of the online marketplace.
Amazon, Play.com, paid and natural search and shopping comparison sites make up three quarters of the available online business but the 25% share that eBay holds is just too big to ignore.
Two million new listings on the site says that the strike won’t have a significant impact. The message should be that it’s time to go capture the 75% of sales you’re missing out on – Not to cut off the 25% of sales that you already have.
7 Responses
Personaly I think strikes and boycotts will always turn out to be a non event with no measurable effect, so not really woth giving the time of day.
However the figures you quote are interesting and leave me wondering where they came from?
I can vouch for 20 😆
Hi Ed, the figures are readily available on the listings page, you just have to add em up 😉
I have been monitoring listing numbers for the broad category in which I list (stamps) for around 2 months now. The figures are a snapshot taken at various times of day so are not statistically sound. They also do not come with an eBay COA. But they are a jolly good indication!
I have more data available but this is just some:
29/2/08 (Friday)
Auction/bin uk only on .co.uk 61,548
SIF 145,482
16/3/08 (the Sunday following free listing weekend for 99p starts)
Auction/bin uk only on .co.uk 75,417
SIF 145,443
28/3/08 (Friday)
Auction/bin uk only on .co.uk 69,349
SIF 144,445
4/4/08 (Friday, day after 5p listing day)
Auction/bin uk only on .co.uk 107,735
SIF 147,734
18/4/08 (Friday)
Auction/bin uk only on .co.uk 62,235
SIF 146,359
2/5/08 (Friday, day after 5p listing day)
Auction/bin uk only on .co.uk 93,280
SIF 139,601
You will see that a CLD brings out a 50% increase in listings. I guess that the average value of the CLD offerings will be MUCH higher than the normal average. Heavily reduced normal sales will inevitably result as buyers will not have a comensurate increase in funds.
Regular sellers may then conclude that the poor sales are ‘something to do with eBay’ – be it new search or other visibilty issues. Result – loss of confidence and lower listing numbers.
You will see that the take up of the latest 5p CLD has been well down on the last offer, of course the ‘strike’ could be a factor. Also ‘non business’ ‘powersellers’ winding down could be interacting.
It could also be that poor sales from the last offer has resulted in a loss of confidence.
The reduction in SIF was unexpected, having been level for 2 months. This can surely only be loss of confidence?
Please draw your own conclusions!
I intend to keep these and a few other stats going forward. All sellers should do this in their own category areas.
John
Thanks Chris, I always overlook the obvious. 😀
Anyway, looks like a job for a scraper, I’ll see what I can do…
Ed
I think the stamp category has low listings because its a sure fire way to bugger up your DSRs and feedback by listing there,
never came across such a set of awkward ,self important ,unforgiving bunch ,anywhere else on ebay
I think that that this is a quiet time of year anyway for many people, people are also worried about rising prices etc. and have curbed their buying a bit. Many people are assuming that poor sales are something to do with Ebay’s policies rather than the general situation and so are feeling negative anyway. I also think that people who are going on strike are cutting off their nose to spite their face and agree that they should stick with it and also diversify.