Makes Stores International (optional)

[bunsock]

Currently Stores only exist on their home country site. For example if you create a Store on the UK site it will not appear on other eBid sites (eg Australia). IE It cannot be found under the Stores link at the top of every page except in the home country. I think sellers should be able to select which countries their store should appear on.

[deanosaur1972]

Currently Stores only exist on their home country site. For example if you create a Store on the UK site it will not appear on other eBid sites (eg Australia). IE It cannot be found under the Stores link at the top of every page except in the home country. I think sellers should be able to select which countries their store should appear on.

The listings appear according the sellers preferences but yes the store would not appear on the stores list.

I would be against the stores list containing stores from all over the world for a number of reasons:

So using Australia as an example - all of the stores list would be swamped by UK and US stores, the Australian stores would have little (if any as they would be so far down the list) exposure on the stores list within their own country. That would potentially affect growth in eBid Australia, new sellers may be adverse to setting up here when they know they are going to be swamped - it would affect growth in smaller eBid countries to a substantial degree.

Using the example of Australia again. Whilst it is all very well for collectables/antiques etc... what about office furniture or vehicles etc.. If the buyer uses the store list then they should be seeing stores from their own countries. Unlikely (although not impossible) that they are going to purchase office furniture from the UK.

What if there were 25 massive US railway collectable sellers - who (for example) might be listing at ridiculous prices, how would you feel about not appearing on the first page of the UK stores list so as to accommodate sellers who would be unlikely to make any sales?

[JanetB]

Interesting thread

[deanosaur1972]

A possible alternative would be:

An option for buyers (not sellers). So the store list default as it stands and then the buyer has the option of expanding the store search to include worldwide stores.

At least that way a potential growing country store list is not swamped and overtaken by other countries and it puts the choice in the hands of the buyer should they wish to use it.

[astral276]

What would qualify a store as an international store though? Say I have a store with 5,000 items but only a couple of those are made available to the US buyers (as an example). Should that store be presented to US buyers? Might they not be put off by being presented a store where there is, effectively, nothing for them to buy?

The current system works because all items in a store must be available to the home country. Yet items for sale internationally are presented in search and browsing results.

[bunsock]

I would have no problem with overseas competition. If eBid is truly an international selling platform then the false barriers of eBid International Sites should be lowered wherever possible to allow free and easy trade.

I already sell regularly overseas and it is mostly to Australia, whereas some years ago the US was my main overseas outlet. When overseas buyers purchase from me it is not easy for them to find my Stores to enable them so see what else is on offer. Yes, they can see my store through my “All About” page but I think it would be so much better if “international” stores were also listed in the Stores list for relevant countries.

I would suggest it should be the seller that decides whether he has an international store and he should also be able to choose what country sites it appears on. All that would need is a country selection process a bit like that used for International postage that you can set up on the My eBid Stores configuration page - the default being the status quo.

When an overseas buyer views a store it should only list items available in that country. Currently if an overseas buyer finds a store through the “All About” page it shows all items and also takes him into the home site for that store. So, for example a US buyer finds a UK store then everything seems to appear in £GBP rather than $US - is this a glitch?

[ZonkersCollection]

It could be set up as an option for both buyer and seller.

Leave the default as it is.
The seller could choose to make their store "international" and to what countries. Or not.
Then buyers could choose a "view international stores" option in advanced search. Or not.
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"When an overseas buyer views a store it should only list items available in that country. Currently.....
....for example a US buyer finds a UK store then everything seems to appear in £GBP rather than $US - is this a glitch? "

Well, when i visit your store, the All Departments page shows me Dollar prices in italics.
The italics indicates it is an estimated currency conversion.
When i click through to the listing, i see both:
Price = £0.70 ($1.10)
Ship to United States = £5.00 ($7.85)
Total = £5.70 ($8.95)

On the other hand, for Mel, i see no listings.

Visit my store, I think 2 listings are available to the UK.
http://zonkers-underground-comix-collection.ebid.net/
Do you see Dollars, or Pounds, Or both? (Euros?)

[bunsock]

Thanks Zonkers, that seems a fair compromise.

You are probably right about the currency - I tried by logging out then going to the US site and looked at my Store from there. It showed me everything in £GBP only, but maybe it recognized what country I was actually in regardless of me selecting the US site. Many thanks.