What has happened to the engagement on Trademe, less than 13,000 online out of 5 million on Sunday early evening? The Trademe Community message board has threads with
single digit views and even no views at all, sales has tanked in the last 6 months. Is it really the bad economy or is everyone just spending their money only at Costco now
on lays chips and muffins?
Hoping things will go back to normal, unless there's an alternative to Trademe I'm unaware of.
I must say I don't use TM the same as I used to.
Everyone is jumping on the Facebook marketplace
(11-12-2022, 05:35 PM)nzoomed Wrote: [ -> ]I must say I don't use TM the same as I used to.
Everyone is jumping on the Facebook marketplace
We're using that too, but either Facebook is de-amplifying my Facebook market profile or the economy really is slowing down, just really want to know what the real issue is. I've got a very good rating on FB marketplace, but getting very few views on my listings, pretty much the same as Trademe, although FB has been slow for me a lot longer, I used to get too many messages to deal with, then after some time hardly any, usually now only from people who have previously bought from me. I can't quite get a handle on what the reason is.
They were always going to get far less traffic once they did away with the forums on TM. I seldom go there these days, & spend less time there when I do & I think its the same story for many of us.
I think it is a bad time to list, the festive season is focusing minds. People rarely buy online this late for gifting, and other spending is reduced by season and by economic climate. That said, I have sold well this week, as I clear my friend's flat, by offering my stuff at rock bottom prices, because I need them to go by mid month, bargain time for some lucky people, but that's fine. The stuff I can afford to wait on selling I'm not listing till next year when I hope the buyers will be more inclined to spend a bit. But even then, rock bottom prices will be my start point, overpricing simply puts buyers off.
I think destroying the community focus of TM was a huge mistake. It was the kiwi way of doing things, which just didn't fit the international model. Sad really, but I don't see a way back.
'Perfect storm' of factors for TM I suspect. We've seen a drop off in sales on our website since about 12 months ago with our retail sales reducing substantially off the end of a boon period during the depths of COVID when many people seemed to gain experience and confidence buying online. It seems our wholesale customers have also seen a similar slowing of their sales of the goods they manufacture from our fabrics as those who sell primarily to the NZ market also feel the slowing of our national economy. Those selling internationally are still pretty active.
The slowing of NZ's economy will see many potential buyers shying away from the temptation that TM presents and also as buyers become more accustomed to online buying they gain the skills to search beyond TM and realise that there is a whole other shopping world beyond a platform whose functionality is clunky at best. Promoting a safe and friendly trading place is soon contradicted if their helpdesk function is required as those manning it are uneducated in TM's own systems and more inclined to fob enquiries off than take any meaningful disciplinary action to address an issue.
Fee increases don't help the situation as sellers (and buyers by way of passed on costs) pay more while service and functionality levels drop.
Add to that the disconnect that has happened with the removal of TM's community discussion function and the former advantages of trading on what used to the default selling platform for NZers have all but gone, or been snaffled by the likes of FB and Neighbourly.
And I completed this post to find this article in our local news:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/1307166...s-presents which I'm sure will be echoed NZ wide in the coming weeks.
I have had a couple of friends scammed on farcebook and neighbourly. One selling a bed on neighbourly was threatened by her buyer...
It's a wild world out there in trading land!
And not much better on TM it would seem. I recently sold our aged Commodore SW with the first listing having a live bid that requested his bid be removed 2 days for the end date. No sale
Then the next listing had a 3:20am Buy Now that refused any further communications. TM offered to refund the success fee which isn't payable on car listings Doh! :
Relist again and my faith was restored by a buyer that requested an inspection at an hour's notice and then did the whole transaction and payment in our driveway. Change of ownership online and he drove it away. Confirmation of his authenticity was by way of his Police ID. All parties happy in the end, apart from the 3:20am 'buyer' who earned himself a red face.
perhaps we should start a marketplace here
I've just about given up on TM - I listed a few things when they offered free selling but didn't even get any views.
What do people do when clearing houses when parents die these days? Just get a huge skip, I suppose?
Garage sale? Not many second-hand dealers around now.
I am clearing a friends flat. Success comes with ridiculously rock bottom pricing. Oh well, someone else benefits I suppose, and there is always the charity shops for the stuff worth onselling. Hence my frequent trips to the soap bubbles in the sink, and the laundry, lol. I am only binning the stuff I wouldn't have in my own home.
It is a nice feeling, knowing stuff is going on to a new owner who needs it.
There used to be secondhand shops everywhere at one time, & op shops too, but both are far rarer these days. I think that's probably due to online sales.
It might be a sign of the times but here in Devonport, a notoriously weathy area, we have three thriving op shops, but no bank branches.
(12-12-2022, 10:55 AM)Oh_hunnihunni Wrote: [ -> ]It might be a sign of the times but here in Devonport, a notoriously weathy area, we have three thriving op shops, but no bank branches.
We took a look around Devonport when we were visiting Auckland a couple of months back and the amount of vacant business premises in the main street was worrying. Not uncommon in many towns up and down the country but with the amount of money in that area (judging by the standard of housing) the situation surprised us.
I'm supporting a charity shop, and managing their Trademe account, we already had very cheap priced items, but can't really go much lower, and I don't think that is really the answer. What I see from TM's site stats and our own stats is that there just isn't much exposure to the public anymore, we have plentiful auctions with zero views, and the amount of people logged in to Trademe at any time of the day is giving me that impression. It tells me that people are shopping elsewhere these days or not at all, Facebook perhaps? Don't really know, even though we're also selling on FB marketplace, but are getting next to no clicks on our items also, it could be the FB algorithm is negatively impacting our listings for some reason, which will always be denied if we ask or the same as Trademe, no people around.
So it's difficult to compare Trademe with Facebook at this point because it might be two unrelated reasons, but for sure the buying habits of kiwis has drastically changed in the past 6 months, and I don't believe most people are in that much of a tight spot financially wise, because I've seen many people spend upwards of $500 on a shopping trip to Costco, some even over a $1000, and they didn't appear to be super rich people. But it could be that people are easily influenced by watching the news about the coming "the economic collapse" that they're making more thoughtful decisions with their purchases, which is not a bad thing but, wasting it on chips and muffins at Costco's might not be that wise.
Anyway, I just wish people would support the smaller businesses, sole traders, and non-profits rather than the same old same old big box stores.
I hardly go on Trade Me these days...or Marketplace. I will look when I want to buy something...but I don't have too many needs...
(12-12-2022, 12:10 PM)harm_less Wrote: [ -> ] (12-12-2022, 10:55 AM)Oh_hunnihunni Wrote: [ -> ]It might be a sign of the times but here in Devonport, a notoriously weathy area, we have three thriving op shops, but no bank branches.
We took a look around Devonport when we were visiting Auckland a couple of months back and the amount of vacant business premises in the main street was worrying. Not uncommon in many towns up and down the country but with the amount of money in that area (judging by the standard of housing) the situation surprised us.
We have a landlord issue in one area. As in excessive rent demands.
Next time you are up I'll shout you a coffee!
(12-12-2022, 04:54 PM)Oh_hunnihunni Wrote: [ -> ] (12-12-2022, 12:10 PM)harm_less Wrote: [ -> ]We took a look around Devonport when we were visiting Auckland a couple of months back and the amount of vacant business premises in the main street was worrying. Not uncommon in many towns up and down the country but with the amount of money in that area (judging by the standard of housing) the situation surprised us.
We have a landlord issue in one area. As in excessive rent demands.
Next time you are up I'll shout you a coffee!
I may well take you up on that. I have a sister who nurses at NS Hospital so I'm up your way from time to time and will message you next time the opportunity presents itself.
Very impressive Morton Bay Fig tree next to your library BTW
Gorgeous tree isn't it? The library is pretty special too. One of my favourite places...
I don't know about dying, but the website seems to get worse and the mobile program gets more and more bugs.
Today I notice the website is recommending my own listings to me...
It feels like they've outsourced their coding to a zoo full of monkeys.