Every day, a new “trend” pops up. Our planning team is skeptical of falling victim to the “shiny object” syndrome, so we deem something a trend when it fits this definition:
See or hear about something once or twice, it’s just a fad. See or hear about something three times, it’s a trend.
Following this definition, we’ve identified our trend of the month. What is it?
‘Reverse Showrooming’?
Shoppers look for items that are cheaper in stores than online. Then, they resell the goods on Amazon or EBay. It is another offspring of webrooming, similar to showrooming ‘ where smartphone shoppers scan items in-store and then seek better deals online. Read more about the trend in this Wall Street Journal article.
Is it a Big Business?
Yes. One shopper sells about $30k annually, netting a profit of $12k. Another said he moved about $800k worth of merchandise online annually a few years ago. And a third turned it into a business, DWNY. He expects to post $10MM in revenue this year from selling on Amazon.
