I read an article the other
day about e-commerce that was first published in 2015 and one line, in particular, made
me laugh. The article described online sales via mobile devices as slow and
cumbersome, making up a tiny percentage of total online sales. Can you believe
that? Just four short years ago! Fast forward four years and mobile
transactions are now just shy of 50% of all e-commerce sales. Times change fast in this technology-driven era, you have to adapt quickly or risk falling
by the wayside, and this is something every reseller needs to always keep in
mind. What resellers also need to be aware of is that the same holds for their
preferred selling platforms. There’s no question that online sales continue to
grow, but how and where these sales take place may be changing. A few weeks
ago, we looked at Facebook and its planned changes to their marketplace that
will put them in direct competition with retail sites like Amazon and eBay. Now
we hear from clothing centric Poshmark that they are launching a new home goods
category. This home goods category will include items like Bedding and bath,
Accent pieces, wall art, party supplies, holiday decor and storage, and
organization. This may come as some very welcome news for resellers who
specialize in these types of items and who may find the Poshmark user-friendly
interface and buyer paid shipping to be quite appealing to them.
So why are both Facebook
and Poshmark branching off into different avenues of retail? It’s simple
there’s a lot of money at stake, and just maybe some chinks in the preverbal
armor have emerged at the well-established online retail giants like Amazon and
eBay. These two, in particular, have been the go-to selling platforms for
resellers for so long now it’s hard to imagine a time without them. Yet both
platforms have made changes in recent years that have alienated some resellers
and its only human nature to be on the lookout for different or better options.
In short, your preferred selling platforms are not immune to the march of time
either, and they also need to adapt and change with the evolution of
e-commerce.
How do you as a reseller
protect yourself from a potentially disruptive change in the e-commerce playing
field? Simple! It’s the same advice we give time and again make sure your sales
are diversified! Sell on as many platforms as possible and always be on the
lookout for any potential shakeups from existing or new potential e-commerce
players.
One final word on Poshmark,
if you’re currently selling or just Posh-curious at this point, now is a great
time to get in on the ground floor of their new home goods category.
Foxliquidation offers a wide assortment of home goods items that can be found
in categories like: