It’s been quite a while since Craigslist and eBay were the only available ReCommerce online seller options. From Etsy to Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and independently-run eCommerce websites, the options are nearly endless. So, why haven’t more businesses caught on? The brick-and-mortar experience is special and will likely always be a part of our shopping culture, but online shopping has also become a staple.
Making your products and wares available online is long overdue, even when you have a huge and consistently changing and/or rotating inventory. Used sporting goods stores, second-hand thrifts, and consignment shops are all great examples of businesses that could really benefit from a ReCommerce website.
Is the Effort of Maintaining a Commerce Site Worth It?
It used to be very cumbersome to maintain a large and rotating inventory on an eCommerce site. However, lucky for us it’s 2021 and there are a ton of better options available.
Investigating a platform like Shopify or having a custom CMS built through Drupal or WordPress can be daunting. We have plenty of experience with all three and believe there is a way to create a straightforward and user-friendly operating system that anyone could successfully maintain with either option.
Now that we know there are easier options for maintaining large and ever-changing inventories. This fact doesn’t change that someone still has to do build the site. The thing is, we will forever live in a post-covid world, and shopping has changed as we once knew it. Even in a vaccinated and unmasked world (fingers crossed), many folks are keen on never returning to the in-person shopping experience. From simply being introverted to those with certain mental and physical limitations, in-person shopping can be difficult or impossible. There are more than enough reasons to ensure your products are available online.
Does Your Business Belong in an eCommerce/ReCommerce World?
In our opinion, if you have products (new or used) to sell – then, yes! The trend we’ve seen the most is that companies with new(never before used) products for sale are jumping on the eCommerce trend fairly successfully. However, businesses selling used and open box items seem to be dragging their feet. It’s time for these businesses to leverage the popularity of ReCommerce in their business mindset.
People are looking for these options online, again, now more than ever before. These options don’t just benefit businesses, they also benefit consumers and resellers. For example, selling gently used sporting goods to a second-hand shop provides the shop with all of the profit. In most cases, you’re not getting much of the genuine worth back on your item. Why not sell it directly to the consumer yourself? Similarly, at an Apple store, you’ll get about 50% of the value back on your technology than if you’d sold the phone yourself.
As we know, buying used and “antique” furniture has been popular for many years. Buying retro clothing will (somewhat ironically) never go out of style, and kitschy second-hand housewares will forever be on trend in some form. So why haven’t thrift stores and consignment shops done more to enter the ReCommerce landscape? What we’ve learned is that it’s an attitude of access, and is not necessarily true to what’s available these days. You can now access user-friendly websites for your sellable items that are as easy to use as posting a picture on Facebook. It is no longer a world that is only available to the most technologically savvy people.
Open Online Sales to Maximize Profits
If you’re thinking this is the right step for you, we encourage you to check out our blog piece about choosing between Shopify and Drupal when building your online shop.
You can also check out our piece called “Your Non-Profit Is Actually An Online Business” which digs even deeper into the importance of getting the entirety of your business online.
If you’re curious if this is the right step for you, we’re happy to talk!
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