What is the Retail Revival program?
Retail Revival is a new program in the U.S., focused on bringing traditional brick & mortar main street businesses online and to new customers around the world. eBay is partnering with the city of Akron for its first U.S. pilot city (with participation from Warren, OH) and through a 12-month partnership will help local small businesses in Northeast Ohio and the broader community harness the power of technology and eBay’s global marketplace.
What will participants in the program receive?
- Participating businesses will receive support and resources to get started selling on the eBay platform, including a comprehensive training program that will teach the eBay selling basics, as well as strategies to best utilize eBay’s platform and tools to boost business, a dedicated customer service support team to answer any questions sellers may have, a complimentary eBay store subscription, and an eBay selling starter kit.
- eBay will also work with the City of Akron to promote the city and its sellers across the eBay community through a dedicated landing page, social media channels and media.
What must participants agree to do?
Participants are expected to be an active program participant throughout the duration of the partnership (January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018). This includes:
- Attending and participating in all trainings offered by eBay, including an in-person kick-off event in Akron, OH the week of February 26 and approximately 3-4 additional virtual trainings held via webinar throughout 2018.
- Creating a business account on eBay and a PayPal account.
- Devoting at least 10% of the working week to setting up and running their eBay business.
What are the benefits of participating in the program?
The program will take away the uncertainty of selling online by providing ongoing training so that participating businesses can best leverage eBay’s marketplace. Participants will have access to:
- A Massive Customer Base: 168M active buyers in 190 markets worldwide.
- Global reach: 97% of eBay’s commercial sellers sell internationally.
- Low Fees: Compared to other marketplaces we offer an extremely competitive fee structure.
How do I apply for the program?
Applications are not currently being accepted; however, interested business owners can scroll down to learn how they can learn more about the program benefits.
Why did eBay choose Akron?
Akron was selected as the pilot city after a rigorous review of cities across the U.S. for its considerable number of existing eBay sellers and strong entrepreneurial spirit in the community. According to eBay’s most recent Digital Density study, which measured number of eBay sellers and sales per capita, Summit County ranked among the top counties in the country.
What is the cost to continue the store membership after the year-long pilot?
eBay will be offering complementary subscriptions for the 2018 calendar year. If a participating business would like to continue their Store subscription (which is automatically renewed unless you opt out), a monthly subscription is $74.95/month and a yearly subscription is $59.95/month for a premium store membership. You can find more information about the different Store levels and associated fees here:http://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/stores/subscriptions.html.
Would you like to participate on this educational journey into the world of e-commerce?
See schedule for a list of live webinarsover the next 8 weeks where eBay will provide the skills and tools needed to grow business on eBay.
Who do I contact with additional questions?
Please send additional questions about Retail Revival to Heather Roszczyk,Innovation & Entrepreneurship Advocate, City of Akron at [email protected].
