Posted on the 16th July 2020
E-commerce is a much-discussed topic in the charity reuse sector, even more so as charity shops had to close due to COVID-19. Managing an online shop on top of a physical shop where no two objects are the same is certainly a challenge.
With so many different options available, it can be tricky to navigate this digital world. While we don’t have all the answers for you, we have compiled a pros and cons list of some of the main e-commerce solutions used in the sector by our members.
Broadly speaking, when we talk about eCommerce solutions, we would expect to be able to:
Keep this in mind and weigh how important the above criteria is to you when choosing an online solution.
What we hear time and time again is how time-consuming having an online shop is. If you choose to have the same items available online and in-store, you have to remember to update your stock management system.
You also want to ask yourself about the following:
Facebook Shops are due to be rolled out this later this year so all these features are likely to change.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It’s Facebook! Everyone has Facebook. | You cannot add to the marketplace as “a page” |
| It's free | You need to set-up a seller profile separate to your page |
| You already have a good following on Facebook | You cannot customise to fit your brand |
| Anyone within a 100-mile radius will see your items | Be ready to negotiate the price |
| It’s easy to use | There is no buyer protection |
| There are dedicated local Buy & Sell groups which are very popular | Sifting through potential buyers can be time consuming |
| Payment gateways are available | Competition can drive down the price |
| It can be good to sell bulky item for collection only |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Widely used platforms | Not customisable to fit your brand |
| Can be good to sell bulky item for collection only | A lot of potential buyers who don’t always convert into a sale |
| It’s free (on the most part) | Be ready to negotiate the price |
| Open to fraudsters | |
| No integrated payment gateway | |
| Not particularly convenient for multiple sales |
Thank you to TooGoodToWaste for sharing their experience of eBay. You can view their eBay store here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/toogoodtowaste
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Easy to use | High fees for business users |
| Global coverage with millions of users | Only really suitable for smaller items that can be posted |
| Excellent reference for past sales / prices | Not able to integrate with any other online selling platform |
| Flexible online merchant services via PayPal | High levels of competition on popular items driving down prices |
| High levels of safety protecting sellers and buyers | eBay can suspend if you don't abide by the rules |
| Some customisation is possible |
Thank you to Castle Furniture Project and Reviive for sharing their experiences of integrated online shops. You can view their online stores here:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Easy to set-up | Lack of integration with our own back-end systems (stock management) |
| Within existing website, so no other URL/domain name needed | Inability to give things away at zero cost (with Wix) |
| Fees are reasonable | It adds time to putting stock out, photos description and uploading to website. |
| Payment options simple to set-up and review | Second hand furniture is one of those items people like to see before buying so sometimes we get returns and online sales you can return |
| People can 'buy' and pay when they pick up (Click and Collect) | |
| It helps with processing stock because before you put it in the showroom you have to code it, clean it, photograph and price it. So it becomes part of the stock system. | |
| You can sell 24 hrs a day | |
| It is a good marketing tool to increase visits to the Store. People visit the online shop and then come to the actual shop. | |
| Your own shop means you don’t have to pay e-bay or whoever a fee |
Thank you to Noisy Little Monkey who provided us with these additional resources with some very useful information. Find out more about their work here: https://www.noisylittlemonkey.com/web-design
They have recommended checking Capterra for reviews and ratings of available e-commerce software: https://www.capterra.co.uk/directory/3/ecommerce/software
Further reading:
How to Choose the Best Ecommerce Platform for Your Store
7 things to consider when choosing an ecommerce platform
Best eCommerce Platforms for Non-Profits
If you spot any inconsistencies or outdated information, please don’t hesitate to contact us. As with all modern communications and technology, things can go out-of-date very quickly!
Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@brookelark
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