As the COVID-19 situation evolves, MIA Member and music gear marketplace Reverb indicates that consumers are continuing to buy musical instruments online as people turn to music for stress relief, personal development, and entertainment. Many shops use Reverb, and the article includes five best practices for retailers to optimise online sales during this unprecedented time…
“Personally, I’m pleasantly surprised by the demand for instruments we’re seeing during this time,” said Sebastian Fabal, Reverb Senior Director of Operations and Outreach. “If retailers are able to safely ship and sell music gear, there is a lot of opportunity to support your business through online sales.”
According to Fabal, not only are many sellers still making sales and shipping gear but also the vast majority of packages are getting delivered where they need to go on time. As more and more buyers turn to eCommerce, Fabal says his team is doing everything they can to support sellers and drive buyers to their shops.
“While our goal is always to help sellers and buyers connect on Reverb, we’re laser-focused at this time on promoting our sellers and their inventory across all of our channels,” said Fabal, whose team has set up a designated email (geardeals@reverb.com) where sellers can email great deals that the team will consider for additional promotion on the site.
In addition to adjusting policies to help impacted sellers, Reverb has created a COVID-19 section in its Help Center, which the team has been updating regularly with shipping carrier updates and more. Based on what he’s been seeing on Reverb, Fabal has five best practices for retailers to optimise online sales during this unprecedented time:
- Communicate often with all buyers after they’ve ordered. Help buyers feel more confident about their purchase by proactively confirming the shipping address and communicating the status of the order.
- Be extra transparent by adding more pictures to listings (think: serial numbers, dents, imperfections, and more) and including specs, if available.
- Ensure a seamless shipping experience by using UPS, Royal Mail or DHL for all shipments and checking carriers’ sites regularly for service updates.
- List more used inventory. This includes any NOS, floor models, mint items, and other gear you haven’t gotten around to listing online.
- Evaluate pricing by paying close attention to the market value, and selling through aged inventory.
“We take very seriously the role that our marketplace plays in the lives of sellers of all sizes who rely on Reverb for crucial income,” Fabal said. “We are committed to helping local shops, independent retailers, and more continue to run their business online during these unprecedented times.”
