Are You Selling on Discovery Marketplaces? If Not, You’re Missing Out

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Tophatter, a discovery marketplace, has 30M+ shoppers and assumes that almost all of those shoppers shop on Amazon too. And guess what? It’s totally okay with that! Shoppers come to Tophatter for a different reason than they visit Amazon, Walmart.com, or eBay. So, if you’re not selling on discovery marketplaces, you are missing sales.

Most traditional eCommerce retailers are built around a search function. The shopper types in what they are looking for, sellers use keywords and advertising dollars to try and rank high on the search results, and the marketplace pushes the shopper to complete their purchase with as little friction as possible. Tophatter is different.

Shoppers usually log in to the app without a specific purchase in mind. They scroll through it– much like they scroll through their social media feeds—bidding on auctions that catch their eye, and making purchases that are often described as “things they didn’t know they needed.” So what does this mean for sellers?

Tophatter has fewer regulations

Getting started on Tophatter is simple. Once you follow the registration steps, you could have your first sale on the same day. Since Tophatter is not built around searching for products, everything that goes up for auction receives impressions. That means sellers don’t have to waste resources on keyword optimization or spend big on marketing and ad campaigns.

Due to the unique auction model, Shoppers set the final price. That can sometimes give sellers pause, but Tophatter’s purpose-built technology to balance supply and demand ensures the number of auctions running meets the number of shoppers competing. Also, there is a suite of tools built for sellers to optimize their listings to get the margin they need. With the auction model, Tophatter does not need to regulate its marketplace as strictly as other platforms. There are standard guidelines of what can and cannot be sold and what listings can say, but most things are allowed.

Take the current demand for health & safety and emergency preparedness products, Tophatter allows all of these products to be sold, as long as they fulfill their guidelines. The same goes for consumer packaged goods such as toilet paper, non-perishable foods, and more. As more and more people choose to stay at home now is the perfect time to sell these items on Tophatter.

Discovery Shoppers Purchase Differently

Discovery shoppers are often making non-essential purchases. They are buying gadgets, health & beauty products, toys & games, apparel, the list goes on. Oftentimes, the decision to buy or not to buy something—or in the case of Tophatter, win the auction for something—comes down to the fun of the competition and the chance of a great price.

The auction model is designed to make shoppers feel as if they have the opportunity to win things at a great value. Successful sellers also create this feeling by communicating value in their product listings. For example, selling items bundled together, such as three bottles of a popular supplement, often makes shoppers feel as if they scored a bargain.

If you’re already selling on traditional platforms, diversifying to discovery marketplaces is an easy jump. It allows your products to be viewed differently, it’s a great way to offload overstock or wholesale, and the fewer regulations make it easier to sell.

Interested in selling on Tophatter? Sign up now and you could have your first sale in hours.