The eBay Retail Revival programme aims to support sellers by enabling them to “stay local, sell global” as it expands to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. eBay say that they want to help sellers remain in their communities and contribute to their local economies by trading on the marketplace.
In the first four months of 2019 alone, US sellers announced that nearly 6,000 stores will close – exceeding the total for all of 2018, says a new report by Coresight Research.
Baton Rouge has been selected as the latest partner city in eBay’s Retail Revival program, which aims to help traditional ‘main street’ businesses effectively compete in today’s digital economy. This means that sellers who might struggle to trade on the high street because of the cost of rent have a chance to continue growing their businesses online.
The expansion of Retail Revival to Baton Rouge builds on the program’s growing momentum with three other US partner cities and two international cities. eBay chose Baton Rouge for their ongoing commitment to small businesses and entrepreneurs, as well as for its rich history, and the potential of its retail community.
In East Baton Rouge, in particular, nearly 71% of all businesses have between two and nine employees, which underlines the prevalence and substantial role of small businesses locally.
How do sellers benefit from eBay Retail Revival?
- A free 12-month long programme
- A free training, with one-on-one coaching from Bay customer service team
- A free eBay premium store subscription and promotional support
What’s required of sellers?
The program is being offered completely free of charge to both the city of Baton Rouge and all participating sellers. An eBay Retail Revival sellers need to devote the requisite time and effort to the program across its entire 12-month duration. This ensures the best possible outcomes for their businesses.
Participating sellers are required to
- Attend the full-day kick-off event in September
- Dedicate at least 10 hours/week, on average, to maintaining, promoting and growing their eBay business
- Consistently participate in 1:1 coaching calls, webinars and other training activities for the first 2-3 months of the program
- Participate in supplementary trainings and events beyond the introductory period
- Provide program feedback via regular surveys
eBay say that the most successful sellers of the programme are the most active, creative and committed. The scheme is designed to help merchants triumph, but the results are in their hands.
The Baton Rouge expansion follows successful Retail Revival program launches in Akron, Ohio, Lansing, Michigan, and Greensboro, North Carolina, as well as international programs in Wolverhampton, UK and Halifax, Canada.
To date, there have been more than 200,000 total transactions by the approximately 300 participating businesses in the program. Local business owners interested in the Retail Revival program can learn more here. Applications will be open later this summer.
