Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/217512
E-commerce PSB FOCUS m www.PowersportsBusiness.com Powersports Business • December 2, 2013 • 17 nd ch ler on EBAY FROM PAGE 13 CONTINUED ea e. at's of gond alout milot But ng nd act ed ace an hat our to by en nd hin metor muse lting way ch cts ng ile, involving your local stocking retailers as fulfillment partners, why not do that on eBay as well. You're driving demand for a lot of the same products to a different base of customers. It's been a nice way for our manufacturer partners to expand the pie of orders that their dealers can participate in." Local dealers need to have the product in stock in order to fulfill the order, either via an in-store pickup or shipment. "That idea itself increases stocking levels of fulfillment dealers, and it gives those dealers more incentive to put more on their shelves so they can participate," Squires said. If a customer purchases a jacket from the manufacturer's eBay store but the local dealership doesn't have it in stock, it could be shipped from a dealer that has it in stock. a brand and fulfill their online orders increase their buy by 10 percent or more for brands that share online sales, online demand with them. "So the fulfillment dealers are putting more product on shelves, helping the brand sell more in all channels. If you're putting more product on the shelves, you're certainly going to have more sell-through at retail. That's the biggest challenge for a manufacturer — to not just have your dealers stock your top 10 items, but to get a full product line and have a stronger representation of the brand's products. The local dealer wants customer loyalty as well." The key to generating success after opening an eBay storefront, Squire says, is threefold: pricing, inventory and managing the channels. And with that, the idea of eBay as an online garage sale falls by the wayside. PSB Source: Shopatron Retailer eCommerce Study, June 2013 NEW CUSTOMER BASE Squires notes that the manufacturer websites typically see a different buyer demographic than that of eBay storefronts. eBay buyers trend toward price-sensitive, younger, male and using mobile devices. "Deal hunters," as Squires says. Buyers shopping on the manufacturer's site are seeking convenience, figuring the easiest thing to do is buy from the manufacturer's site. And did we mention mobile? "Mobile transactions on eBay are getting to 20-25 percent, so a significant amount of mobile traffic and purchase," Squires said. Those customers who are purchasing from the manufacturer's eBay store are also likely to buy more when they come into the dealership for pickup. Hence, fulfillment dealers typically buy deeper into the P&A catalog since none of Shopatron's powersports manufacturers ship to customers; all shipments come from dealers. "Our surveys ask dealers that question specifically," Squires said. "Our data shows that 50-60 percent of retailers that participate with DUCATI LAUNCHES EBAY STORE Ducati North America has launched an eBay store that fulfills genuine Ducati apparel and accessories through its certified retail partners. As one of Shopatron's launch partners on eBay via Shopatron Marketplace, Ducati's eBay store has already delivered a 15 percent incremental lift to the brand's online sales with Shopatron. Shopatron Marketplace opens the door for brands to take control of the customer experience on eBay. Through the Shopatron Order Exchange, brands can leverage retailers to fulfill orders from official branded eBay stores. The Shopatron Order Exchange allows manufacturers to pass online orders to their retail channel for ship-from-store fulfillment, giving partners a share of their e-commerce sales. EBay Motors is one of the largest online marketplaces for buying and selling all things automotive, and is consistently ranked the No. 1 automotive site by Nielsen/NetRatings. The launch of the Ducati USA eBay Store brought a wide variety of authentic Ducati accessories and apparel to fans of the iconic bike manufacturer. "Ducati's successful venture with Shopatron Marketplace serves as proof of the changing landscape and sales potential on eBay," said Shopatron founder and CEO Ed Stevens. "Their success is a prime example for what is possible when brands combine the distributed order management of Shopatron with the expansive consumer reach of eBay." Ducati first became a partner with Shopatron in 2009. PSB P13x20-PSB15-Focus.indd 17 11/25/13 11:33 AM