The pandemic and on-again-off-again lockdowns had a huge impact on businesses, especially retailers. And while the closing up of high street stores was a real blow for many, all was not lost. Over the course of the last two years as shoppers moved online, retailers demonstrated real resilience, nimbly pivoting their strategies and catering to their online customer.
That was exactly the case for Melanie Barwis from Cornwall. Having initially started her business selling unique vibrant and boho-style clothing in person at music festivals and fairs across the South West of England, she eventually opened a high-street store in 2019. But when Coronavirus hit and restrictions put an end to festivals big and small – as well as closing the doors of her high street shop – her main source of revenue dried up overnight.
But every cloud has a silver lining and with the government grant scheme for businesses and a shift in focus, Melanie was able to put all of her time into evolving her online business — Festival Stall — on eBay, which is going from strength to strength.
We sat down with Melanie to chat to her about how she developed her eBay store during Covid, and turned it into the lucrative business it is today, what she loves about the platform and her future aspirations for Festival Stall…
What prompted you to start your eBay business?
Interestingly, it was a direct result of the pandemic. Pre-pandemic, I had a retail shop on the high street, but unfortunately I had to close it down when lockdown hit. It was a bit of a double-whammy as all of the events that I had booked to attend as a way of showcasing my items were also cancelled, so I had to find a way to bridge the gap and make a living.
It was ultimately a pretty spur of the moment decision to pivot and focus all my efforts on my eBay store, but it was the first thought that came to my head when I was thinking about how to save my business.
Had you already tried your hand at selling on eBay pre-pandemic?
I originally launched Festival Stall on eBay in May 2019, but at the time it was more of an ‘add-on’; an extension to my physical business.
When the first lockdown hit and festivals were cancelled and I closed my high street store, I had so much stock left over that it just made sense to change my focus and grow my business on eBay, selling my clothing range there.
While it’s been extremely exciting, it has been quite the challenge and a huge amount of work. But, ultimately, it’s all been worth it and I much prefer it. I am so proud of what I have achieved and it is great to see my business grow — I’ve now even got two members of staff and have appointed a digital marketing apprentice to help me with all things social.
What have been the biggest challenges you've faced when selling on eBay?
I’m extremely proud to be a top rated seller on eBay with almost 750 separate pieces of feedback! And while that’s amazing, it is a challenge to maintain, and there is constant pressure to continuously do better and expand as a business.
What resources or advice have you found helpful to running your eBay business?
There are two local organisations that focus on helping businesses grow which I have found extremely useful. The first of these is The Growth Hub in Cornwall, who work with local businesses to find the right guidance and support to help their business work smarter, develop and grow. The second — also based in Cornwall — is Unlocking Potential, an organisation that holds half-day courses aimed at helping digital local businesses grow. I can’t recommend them enough!
What's the one thing you've learnt that you wish you'd known when you were first growing your eBay business?
I wish I had known about, and used, unique product identifiers — unique codes that can be used to identify a specific product. They enable buyers to apply filters to search results, meaning that only listings with matching information will be shown. We have only recently started using them but they’ve made a huge difference already!
What does the future hold for Festival Stall, and what are you most excited about?
My main goal is to expand my business further and grow my loyal customer-base. With technology moving so fast, becoming more digitally-savvy will be key to this — something that I am planning to focus on in the year ahead.
I’m also extremely excited about the fact that Covid restrictions and lockdowns have ended [for those living in the UK] which means that festivals are back on the cards! So I will definitely be looking to set up a pop-up shop at a few of these!
Are you someone who launched an eBay business during lockdown or a seller story to tell? Let us know below…we’d love to hear your story! If Melanie’s Q&A has inspired you to start your own selling journey, visit our eBay Academy for more support and advice!
