What can multi-channel software do for your business?

ChannelAdvisor have recently announced a massive 89% increase in sales for Moda in Pelle, a UK shoe and accessories retailer. Moda in Pelle have signed to use ChannelAdvisor’s Managed Marketplaces solution along with Frootion who designed their eBay shop and listings. They’re now selling on both and Amazon and have seen sales soar since they implemented a managed solution.

Paul Sanderson, head of e-commerce at Moda in Pelle explained “We were keen to boost our sales and brand presence online but found that listing products on marketplaces put a strain on internal resources. By using the ChannelAdvisor Managed Marketplaces solution we will have a dedicated team using the ChannelAdvisor software to list and launch, track and automate our inventory on eBay and Amazon, strategically planning the direction of our campaigns and boosting our return-on-advertising spend. This has freed up our team’s time to focus on other important areas of the business.”

ChannelAdvisor managed every aspect of the launch – from creating listing schedules, posting templates and editing ad copy to optimise performance. The retailer was already operating on Amazon before partnering with ChannelAdvisor but found maintaining its account status a challenge. With the help of ChannelAdvisor, Moda in Pelle has stabilised its account status, which in turn has had a positive impact on performance on this important channel.

Retailer and trading on marketplaces

There are two things I find notable about this – the first is confirmation that high street retailers really aren’t set up to cope with the demands of marketplace trading. They need help and a lots of it. There are a raft of third party integrators who can assist in launching a business onto eBay and Amazon (and other marketplaces such as Pixmania, Play.com, Priceminister etc). These guys can do everything from getting retailers set up, managing listings on an ongoing basis and some will even hold the inventory and handle dispatch for the retailer.

The benefits of multichannel management solutions

The second point worth noting is simply the time saving and efficiencies that a multichannel management solution can provide. Whether this be ChannelAdvisor or one of their competitors, I’ve yet to find a merchant who fully implements a solution and doesn’t see a dramatic increase in sales, albeit maybe not as high as 89%. The time savings are immense and just as Moda in Pelle have found it frees you up to focus on other areas of your business. For smaller retailers it’s even more valuable – especially if you’re the sole decision maker in your business but regardless of your size a multichannel management solution will save you taking on new employees.

If you’re interested in either multichannel management solutions or help from a full service provider who will manage your entire marketplace sales, you’ll find the solutions you need in the eBay & eCommerce Tools and Services Guide.