Thanks to our friends at eBay
What do 40,000 Australian retailers, including big brands like Coles, Myer and The Good Guys have in common?
They all use eBay as part of their distribution model!
In a recent Masterclass Online, we sat down with eBay’s Seller Marketing & Communications expert, Rachel Hopping, and Selina Blair-Holt, Coles Online Channel Planner, to learn how a retail giant like Coles uses eBay as part of their distribution plan, and why you should too.
There have been huge changes to the way we shop in recent years. You can complete a full grocery shop without leaving your desk (which we’ve never appreciated more than during COVID-19!). Customers have the ability to compare prices and deals online, have more control over their spending, and can ensure that their groceries are arriving exactly when and where they want them to.
For bricks-and-mortar stores, an online distribution model can provide customers with the in-store experience (plus more!), as well as offer retailers the opportunity to target new customers and build brand loyalty.
Passionate about making life easier for their customers, Coles saw the need to expand their online distribution and reach new customers that weren’t coming in store. As eBay already has such a big customer base (a whopping 11-million unique monthly visitors!), it was an obvious choice for Coles to show up on a site that had a loyal customer base.
Additionally, the eBay and Coles partnership is the first time an Australian grocery store has sold on the marketplace, giving them an advantage over their competitors.
For any business, a multi-channel business model is extremely important for future-proofing your offer. Customers are showing up on every platform and looking for convenience and the best deal, so if you’re not getting your product in front of them, you’re going to be missing out. A multi-channel approach allows you to diversify your offering and give customers access to better deals – as an eBay seller, Coles customers have the option to become an eBay Plus member, giving them 5% off all Coles orders on eBay and free delivery over $49, in addition to their already competitive prices and deals.
For any business, there are two different ways that you can start selling on eBay. If you are currently working on a smaller business model, you can choose to list your items directly on eBay (find out how to do that here!) or link your existing online shopping cart (e.g. Shopify, WooCommerce) with eBay.
For larger, more complex businesses with custom platforms, an integration partner may be your best solution. Coles currently list over 7,000 products on eBay so for them, manual listings weren’t feasible. By using an integration partner, Coles is able to keep their stock information in a centralised control area where they can make changes, monitor orders and create reports. Their integration partner pulls this data through to eBay and returns sales data for Coles to fulfil. As an eBay seller, you can search for the best integration partner through the eBay Seller Centre.
It’s important for businesses to consider what channels work best for their business to drive customer engagement and work out what the ideal customer experience is. eBay provides businesses with a distribution model that is already built out for them, with a customer base that is already loyal, and a convenient marketplace that gives customers the opportunity to shop the way they want.
So, what are you waiting for? Visit the eBay Seller Centre to get started.
