How is 2018?

[clubesquire]

Hi all,

It's fairly quiet here since just before Xmas.

Is this the norm, of perhaps just a trend with our type of product at this particular time?

No concerns. Just still learning and understanding it all.

In any event, best wishes for a great year for you all.

Melina.

[performance_parts_clearance_centre]

Including the last week or so of December - and allowing for diminished sales due to the store being on "holiday mode" from Dec 21 to Jan 8 - I've already sold 30% more items than I did in December, and a couple more than in November.

[the4masters2013]

Quiet, almost dead!
My 3 months prior to January weren't bad for me but this month seems to have shut down on me.
Maybe people spent too much over the Christmas period!!
Hope it all picks up for you, me and everyone else.

[kopenhagen5]

Generally, we have always found retail to have the quietest period from 25th Dec to mid Jan.

(Just got hold of a nice Stanwell, very cheap. )

[clubesquire]

Good on you Kopes 🙂

It's a good brand.

We pick the odd well priced one up that requires little work. Especially some of the vintage pipes. Might look grotty, but some people aren't aware of their value in the historic sense.

Theres a bit of stigma surrounding Stanwell pipes. Not the easiest to sell. We've always wondered why? The boys have 100'years good experience and knowledge between them. They argue a lot about pipes, but both love the Stanwell.  Even I can see the quality there, but??

Biggest and most modern pipe factory in the world now - very humble beginnings.

Anyway thanks heaps. As I said, no concerns, it's just unusually quiet, even with questions.

Melina.

[jfmgray]

Slow since about 20 December - sales are around 40% down over the last 30 days.  Not sure if the commencement of Amazon is having an impact or it is just the post Christmas/Boxing day sales. But it is a lot slower for me compared to the same time last year. Still having steady sales just not the volume. 

[lyndal1838]

I doubt that you have much to worry about with Amazon.

I have yet to find anyone who is impressed with their products and most are decidedly unimpressed with their service....delivery times are abominable.

They have a very poor range of goods so far and it you compare their prices with other online retailers you will see that their prices leave a lot to be desired.

[chameleon54]

Our newest store is down around 10% compared to 90 day average, but I have not been putting the time into this one.

Store number two, our established small store is up 48% compared to previous 31 days and up 50.6 % compared to twelve months ago . ( seller hub figures )

Our main store is up 43% compared to previous 31 days and up 69% compared to 12 months ago. The interesting thing is this store seems to have recieved a re-rating by ebay and has broken out, well above of its long term average sales trend.

This figure would have been helped by an interesting night I had last night. I discovered some gems in a box that I had never unpacked from a bulk stock purchase a couple of years ago. I contacted a potential buyer when I found the first one and he purchased the item the moment I listed it. I found a couple more an hour later and after some negotiation he purchased these as well. This all occured from 7 pm. - 10 pm. I then found a real rare treasure. I had to do a couple of hours research on it to ascertain history and value, but it turned out to be a real gem. I have a collector in Japan that would have loved this one, but I offered it to the guy who had purchased the other items that evening. By this time it was midnight and the guy ended up buying it at 12.30 am for a very good price. All up a busy night, but it paid very well.

That box was the mother load. It contained a number of other very good items I have listed today, with another of them selling very quickly, soon after listing. All up I have to say I'm pretty happy with 2018 so far.

[digital*ghost]

Fairly average here, which is good enough for me. I did have a really big weekend recently across all of my stores (1 here, 2 elsewhere), it was more hectic than some of the busier days leading up to Christmas, but things have slowed down a little since. 

I don't mind so much, though, as it's giving me a bit more time to work on new stuff. 

[enigmabear]

100% dead for me