Single or multiple stores?

[jellybirddesigns]

Was wondering which might be better - 

1) To have different stores for different ranges of things (multiple fees),

2) One store with different categories (one fee)

At the moment I sell one type of product, handmade cushion covers, but I'm thinking of branching into making miniature versions of some things ie: miniature cushions and miniature bedding for dollhouses. I can't decide if I should add these into my current store under a different cateogry, or alternativly use a second ID with a second store just for the dollhouse items.

One one hand, having one store means just one monthly subscription fee. On the other hand, perhaps it might be confusing for buyers to see minature cushions and full sized cushions in the same place.

Thoughts?

[pennyforum14]

If they are similar things I would keep them in one store with separate categories, but if the are completely different, eg books and linen, you might consider two stores.  I split my store because my main line bears absolutely no resemblance to the general merchandise I was selling and it looked a bit odd, it has  worked well for me, but if your items are all home decor I don't think it would be necessary to have separate stores.

[digital*ghost]

I have one store here, as well as two on the other site I sell, and there are pros and cons to both.

If you want a single, unified branding for your online presence, then a more general name and a single store is best. My eBay store and one of my other stores has the same name, but I chose a different name for the last one because my original name was very specific to my craft, and it doesn't match the items I decided to sell. That all works ok, but when I finally have my own website up and running, I just want to have the one, selling everything I have across all sites, so I think maybe I should have gone with a single brand name for everything, eg say my name was "Nice Stuff", then maybe I could have "Nice Stuff Jewellery" and "Nice Stuff Supplies" on these kinds of sites, then my webstore is "Nice Stuff Inc" or somesuch. 

For what it's worth, I use a featured store for everything here and as far as I know, don't have any issues with that - most buyers search by keyword, then browse / refine, so if you have a variety of items it's unlikely to look strange or put people off. Especially if your store categories are well organised, allowing people to go to the exact section they want to. 

The featured store subscription is higher, but I get 500 free listings and lower FVF, so for me it's a much better choice than two stores (plus, one store = enough admin duties as it is  )

There are times when I would recommend different stores, say one is car parts and the other is lingerie, but most of the time one store is fine. 

[kopenhagen5]

I agree, one store is enough.

In fact I think buyers may sometimes find something else from the same seller to buy, even if it is different in category.

That is a main advantage of a store IMO.

[jellybirddesigns]

Kopenhagen, that is a good point about buying something else in the same store.

One of my selling points for the dollhouse cushions could be something like -

"If you love this miniature cushion - you'll find the adult size version in my listings"

Give myself maximum cross promotion exposure!

[imastawka]

I think one store is enough too.

You don't have just cushion covers in your store now.

Just have a category for Miniature/Doll's House furnishings.