Another Nail in the coffin - thanks Royal Mail

[louisianna]

After over 20 years of trading on Ebay, I am finally starting to lose the will to fight. Ive jumped through hoop after hoop and seen a decline of over 50% in the last couple of years. 

After increasing my prices to cover Royal Mails ridiculous hike in prices this weekend, I am over 50% down on a usual Monday morning. Im hoping it's just because not everyone has applied the new prices yet and competition currently offer better prices - but I just cant carry on like this. 

Feeling very pessimistic this morning!!

[british-ceramics-and-paintings]

I do wonder if online selling has / is reaching a tipping point with the cost of doing business and delivery costs making it less and less viable for many small businesses in many areas of retail.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

I somehow doubt it.

If that where the case, then the high street would be booming.

But it's dead as a dodo now, other than coffee shops and charity shops.  It's nothing like it used to be at all.

[british-ceramics-and-paintings]

Agree in some ways however out of town retail parks have taken a fair bit of the business.

Also the high street is hardly going to be booming at the moment.

On many items the postage can now be 10 - 30% of the price of the item (often much more on items priced under £10 - £15), where does it end ?

[padanpcparts]

You do make a good point, a lot of people have realised that going out in person isn't too bad. Maybe they will start to get the little things from local suppliers again. There are certain products where going out to buy them is more enjoyable than ordering online and as online postage costs increase  this should make it more competitive for bricks and mortar premises. I full agree regards out of town business parks. I live closer to town than a lot of business parks but still generally go to business parks to shop. Just easier to go in the car, park up, grab and go. 

[therenewalworkshopltd]

You are right, the out of town parks have taken a chunk out of it all.

But I really don't think that we will ever really see a proper return to actual shopping.

Though as someone else has said, there are certain things that are far better to actually go look at, so those kind of places will stay around.

I do think though, that unless the prices get exorbitant, people will always prefer the convenience.

Though the only real hit is the postage cost, which though it has gone up, so has everything else.

And don't forget, if it's just the one or two things your buying, your probably paying in postage, what you would have paid in petrol, parking etc.

I do still see things the other way around though.  Try buying batteries in the supermarket, then compare that cost to delivered from Amazon etc.  🙂  Used to frustrate me no end, as I used to sell a lot of batteries.  

[padanpcparts]

I will be honest, it is only going to get worse. 

[british-ceramics-and-paintings]

Yes, not many positives on the horizon unless anyone can think of any ??  🤔

[greencrest-intl]

Thanks for your post.

I have no advice

but here's my answer

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276989881408

Trading since 2008

Selling up as its just not predictable sales anymore, one day up one day gone

Have in last 12 months spent more on fees and promotions than my best years on ebay, only to come home with far less.

I'm finished

[moldosgifts]

Very sad i wish you all the best for whatever comes next for you.

[technthread]

I went into a local town centre on Sunday and had a look in WH Smith’s at their Sharpie pens as they had a 30% clearance sale on. Their price for the multi pack I wanted was something like £22 before the discount. The same pack is on Amazon for £8.99. 

[parsley2003]

So sorry for you,  it's so sad the infighting between some business people on here and private. They are treating us all badly we should stick together and support each other.

I have looked at business rules and they are shocking having to pay a large amount for a shop just to get a decent amount of listings plus all the rest. I can't see it's viable to sell as a business on here unless it's "very big" business.

Now the private sellers will leave and business will lose from that. Most of what i made was spent on food and items for my rescue animals, not on holidays and things for myself.

I will try to find somewhere else but starting again after 21 years at my age won't be easy and i shall miss the relationships that i've built with some buyers. 

[mawels_87]

A lot of TV programmes now are putting a lot more enthis on saving money, and not always buying top price for expensive brands. Also there is a lot of enthis on decluttering the house and garage.  High postage and buyer protection fees are not helping either.  Maybe buyers are now buying more of what they need rather than buying just what they want, or buying just for no real reason.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

it's so sad the infighting between some business people on here and private.

To be fair, it's not really infighting between business and private sellers.

The issues are about business sellers, who pretend to be private!

They are a major problem on Ebay.

It is however viable for small business to sell on Ebay, though not everyone will succeed.

The trick, is to sell in other places as well and not be fully reliant on just Ebay.

[louisianna]

I think this is true, sadly

[louisianna]

Im so sorry it has come to that for you - but I fear I wont be far behind

[parsley2003]

I was talking about the handful that bang on about it like stuck records strange they seem absent today, maybe they are actually trying to sell something

[theelench]

I think we talked briefly about another site?  Their boards are very friendly and helpful to newcomers and sellers returning to try the site again.

There seem to have been more of both recently!!  I wonder why??

[howmuchtobid]

You say it is viable for a small business to sell on Ebay. That is a very loose way of looking at it. How do you define this? 

Just to add some context the minimum wage for a full time job is now circa 25k a year.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

It wasn't me that defined it as being not viable.

The response was to someone else.

So I would suggest that you ask them what they define it as, then I will respond to you.

But the very fact that there are still so many small business, still selling on Ebay kind of backs up what I said anyway.  Just because some are saying that it's not on the forums, does not mean that the rest are doing ok.