Up & Running program provides
three-months of financial relief and support in wake of COVID-19
crisis
TORONTO, April 15, 2020 /CNW/ - Today, eBay Canada is launching "Up &
Running," an accelerator program specifically designed
to support retailers without an e-commerce presence transition to
selling online. The initiative will also help existing online
businesses create a channel to reach millions of customers
worldwide. In addition to onboarding resources and tools, eBay
Canada is waiving selling
feesi and offering a free basic store for a three-month
period to assist businesses with cash flow as they navigate
COVID-19.
"The majority of eBay Canada
sellers are small businesses from across the country. They embody
what it means to stay local and sell global," explains Rob Bigler, General Manager, eBay Canada. "Up & Running reflects our
sense of responsibility and a commitment to retailers whose
physical stores are temporarily closed and who lack an
international e-commerce channel. We are putting every resource
into making it simple and cost-effective for them to quickly set up
on eBay and resume selling."
Small Business Challenges
According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business's
member surveys about the impact of the global pandemic, 62% of
businesses would not be able to quickly shift more than 10% of
sales to online or telephone options. The research highlights other
significant challenges:
- 42% are worried about having to close their business
permanently;
- 32% of those who have had to close are unsure if they will be
able to reopen;
- 25% say they can survive less than a month under current
conditions;
- 22% have no sales or revenues, and a third have seen declines
of 51% to 99% of their gross revenues; and
- The average cost of COVID-19 on small businesses so far is
$206,000.
eBay Helping Bring Retailers Online
While 61% of Canadians bought online last yearii, as
recently as 2017, almost half of all Canadian small and
medium-sized businesses did not have a website, or had minimal
e-commerce capabilities.iii eBay Canada believes there is an urgent need to
help bring retailers online and is offering the following Up
& Running benefits:
- A free Basic eBay Store for 90 days
- No selling fees through June 20
(up to 500 sales)
- A $35 coupon for eBay
branded shipping supplies
- Powerful selling tools and insights
- Access to eBay's 180+ million buyers around the world
Retail Revival
The Up & Running program builds on an established
eBay curriculum – Retail Revival – that was adopted in cities
worldwide, including Halifax, Nova
Scotia, and saw participants increase sales and
international exports through the platform.
"We specialize in marine and boating supplies. With help from
eBay Canada, in one year, we've
grown our customer base from serving mostly Canada to accessing the huge U.S. market,"
says Eric Dempsey, E-commerce
Manager, The Binnacle and Retail Revival Halifax participant. "Our
ability to sell online during the pandemic has been a lifeline. In
the past 30-days, we've seen our eBay sales increase 60% compared
to the month prior."
Setting Up an eBay Store
New sellers can follow these simple steps to get started:
- Register your business account on the
Canadian registration page and connect a payment
method to your account.
- Check your My eBay Messages Centre to activate the
promotional offer. Once activated, look for a confirmation message
in your My eBay Messages Centre within 10 days.
- Get selling tips and tricks from our Up & Running
onboarding materials.
For the terms and conditions and more information, visit
ebay.ca/upandrunning.
Supporting Existing Sellers
The launch of Up & Running follows significant moves
to help small and medium-sized businesses that currently sell on
eBay Canada. The changes
were announced to the seller community directly, and
include deferred fee payments, added seller protections and the
elimination of insertion fees (up to 50,000 listings per month for
March and April).
To make it easier for Canadian shoppers to support local
retailers, eBay Canada is also
highlighting small business sellers on eBay.ca.
About eBay
eBay Inc (NASDAQ: EBAY) is a global commerce leader
including the Marketplace and Classifieds platforms. Collectively,
we connect millions of buyers and sellers around the world,
empowering people and creating opportunity for all. Founded in 1995
in San Jose, California, eBay
is one of the world's largest and most vibrant marketplaces for
discovering great value and unique selection. For more information
about the company and its global portfolio of online brands,
visit www.ebayinc.com.
i New sellers who sign-up for the promotion,
will pay no final value fees for the first 500 sold items that
were listed during the promotion listing period. PayPal fees and
other fees/charges may be applicable. See terms & conditions at
www.ebay.ca/upandrunning.
ii Business Development Bank of Canada Study, Expand
Online: Strategies to Boost Sales, Profits and Exports, 2019;
pg. 5.
https://www.bdc.ca/EN/Documents/analysis_research/expand-online-study.pdf?utm_campaign=Study--Expand-online-2019--download--EN&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua
– accessed April 14, 2020.
iii Business Development Bank of Canada Study, Expand
Online: Strategies to Boost Sales, Profits and Exports, 2019;
pg. 1.
https://www.bdc.ca/EN/Documents/analysis_research/expand-online-study.pdf?utm_campaign=Study--Expand-online-2019--download--EN&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua
– accessed April 14, 2020.
SOURCE eBay Canada