Business

Top Tips for Selling Used Goods

Selling second-hand goods is a great business model and it certainly has a distinct market niche to tap into. This is something that has always been the case, and the ecommerce revolution certainly hasn’t done away with this particular choice of inventory.

In fact, if anything it has only become a more popular option for those looking to start up an ecommerce venture. Ecommerce fulfilment company Shipping and Handling of Texas, who also offer warehousing in Houston, report that many of their ecommerce clients are following this business model. Moreover, there’s even a specific way of handling order fulfilment.

One reason this type of business has become more popular since businesses have gone online is that used products are not normally those which are mass produced and can be found anywhere. Furthermore, if they have been mass-produced, the production might have ceased, making the products gradually rarer the longer they are on the market.

But why is this relevant for ecommerce? Well, consider walking into a second-hand shop looking for something, your chances of finding a specific product might be pretty slim, and the normal approach is simply to see what is there and take something on a whim. Online, you can actively search for the products and easily browse an inventory. The result of this is that products are easier to find, which those interested in second-hand products appreciate a lot.

Just consider some record collector desperately searching for that super rare Beatles 45. The internet has instantly made his search that much easier. However, bear in mind that second-hand ecommerce does not just involve collectables. Anything that is not new can be sold in this way, and it’s a business model with many advantages.

Advantages of Second-Hand Inventory

There are several advantages for the businesses themselves when it comes to going with used goods. Here are a few:

Inventory Can Be Acquired Cheaper

Except in cases of super valuable collectors’ items, selling used goods can be a lot cheaper simply because they might not be new and in perfect condition – and because you might already own them!

Inventory Running Out is Not a Disaster

Customers on second-hand ecommerce sites know that the seller cannot simply order more products from the manufacturer when they run out. This also offers you the opportunity to market some products as “running out soon”, thereby driving up interest.

Solid Market Niche

Given the rarity of certain used goods, they cannot just be acquired anywhere so you can carve out a real niche simply by being the only seller with a particular product. Used goods are also, in themselves, a strong niche product.

Tips for Second Hand Ecommerce

So, how can you go about second-hand e-commerce successfully? Here follows some tips:

Lean In to The Niche

We’ve already covered the strong niche that certain second-hand products have, so in your marketing you should emphasize this strongly and target the right customer base.

Be Honest About Condition

If a new product is in bad condition, that’s a real problem. Not so with a used product – but only if the seller has been honest about the condition. Not doing this is a sure way to turn customers off.

Price Properly

All bets are off with collectables, but for more utilitarian products, a good move is to slash the original retail price by 50% and start from there. Pricing too highly can turn certain customers off because they know the product isn’t new.

Ultimately, selling used goods has a lot going for it, and it is arguably the best time in history to do so. The internet revolution is to thank for this.

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