Canadian Retailer - Summer 2015 - 14

paRtnER MEssaGE ebay

groWing SaleS tHrougH
online marketPlaceS
in the next 3 years, retail will change more than it has in the past
20, ushering in a new retail model that is customer driven and
technology enabled.
COURTESY OF eBay CANADA
cUstoMERs now have the power to determine, where, when and
how they will purchase products. Online marketplaces, like eBay
with its 155 million active users, give small and medium enterprises (SMEs) opportunities to stay ahead of the ever-changing
retail realities at all stages in their lifecycle.
low cost launch & testing

Online marketplaces, like eBay, provide opportunities for SMEs
to launch and grow online sales with low cost and minimal risk.
The built-in audiences of established marketplaces allow SMEs to
test-market new products and pricing without investing resources
into driving traffic or managing the technical aspects of a website.
Expand global reach

Historically, global exports have been the domain of large, established companies. Even in 2011, only 10.4 per cent of SMEs exported. But, global marketplaces like eBay are changing the rules
of the export game by providing seamless access to international
customers. SMEs can expand their sales beyond local and national markets. In fact, on eBay, 99.5 per cent of Canadian SMEs
export internationally, reaching an average of 19 countries.
online outlets

How can retailers clear through distressed or aged inventory
without cannibalizing regular priced sales? Whether under their
own brand or a white label, marketplaces like eBay allow retailers
to create a separate channel for problematic inventory while ensuring it receives the customer traffic necessary to support strong
price realization and sales. An outlet strategy is a few clicks away.
Ecommerce scale

Multi-channel retailing has arrived and SMEs need to participate or risk losing their customers. But how do SMEs acquire new
customers online and capture mobile sales? Large marketplaces
invest in acquiring traffic and adapting to new technology every
day so SMEs don't have to. eBay Canada, for instance, receives
more than 8 million individual visits per month and reports that
50 per cent of sales have a mobile touch-point. A marketplace's
presence provides access to the scale and technology that can
complement SMEs' existing brick-and-mortar channels.
Learn more at eBay.ca/GrowYourBusiness.

14 |

canadian REtailER | Summer 2015

Darrell Renaud, President, ScoutTech Outfitters.
it goes both ways: taking online success to
brick-and-mortar
Twelve years ago, darrell renaud of Mississauga, ontario launched his eBay business-scoutTech outfitters.
Fresh out of high school, renaud was searching for a
career that would build on his love of the outdoors.
with few start-up resources, darrell started small with a
handful of listings on eBay.ca. He relied on the marketplace to drive traffic to his online store and facilitate
transactions.
as darrel invested in product knowledge and customer
insights, his business grew. He increased his assortment
and hired staff; he started his own ecommerce site,
scouttech.com; and, in 2011, he expanded offline, opening his first brick-and-mortar store.
while darrell's marketplace strategy has evolved with
his business, his presence on eBay continues to be
critical to his success. since launching, darrell has accumulated sales in excess of $1 million on eBay.

http://www.eBay.ca http://www.scouttech.com http://www.eBay.ca/GrowYourBusiness

Canadian Retailer - Summer 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Retailer - Summer 2015