My retail Market Place sales are down 95% this week - Any other sellers having probs?

[Cats Twine]

I own a very long establish Market Place Store that has enjoyed steady unwavering sales over the last 4 years.

Over the last three days I have sold one item. I usually do at the very least 35 sales a day.

I see a huge thread developing regarding proposed SL changes and this post 'IS NOT' to discuss that.

I would like to know if any other retailers are having same issues?

If this trend continues, I will move my business to Inworldz.

 

[Amethyst Jetaime]

No problems here.

It isn't out of the question that you just had a few days of slow sales.  Three days does not a trend make.  It happens.

[Arwen Serpente]

Yes, sales inworld and MP are down dramatically for me too, so you are not alone.

[Cats Twine]

I just spoke with my friend who is one of the biggest land estate owners in SL to.

She says she has lost nearly 80 parcel owners since Monday

[Drew Bhalti]

my advice do not add to the fear mongering or panic.  quite a few people are just going off what others are saying and not reading what ebbe has been saying, alot of bull**bleep** floating around right now.

 

so once people figure out things will be ok, things will return to normalish. 

[Cats Twine]

Hi Drew

I am not adding anything to any panic. I have a real time scenario here that I am looking for answers to (regardless of what the answers or the problem may be) and I am seeking feedback from other sellers to see if they have a take on things.

If you have chosen to connect it to the other issue that's fine, but this thread isn't about that and as you know, there is a whole other thread dealing with that subject alone.

Drew, with respect and reservation - please don't suggest I am fear mongering. That is simply not true and highly inaccurate.

[Aethelwine]

maybe people are spending their disposable income at slink

[Cats Twine]

Hi Aethelwine.

While I appreciate your feedback. I doubt that is why my sales have took an impromptu dive but thanks anyway

[sirhc DeSantis]

Well, can't find you listed on MP so hard to say if the new stuff that seems to be

all the rage is the reason (besides mesh bodies - not my dept anyway)

But hey, go for it! I'm sure moving from here (currently online, barely scraping over 34000) to

there (currently online - 166 although it is a quiet summer Thursday) will be the solution =^^=

And I bet your competitors would not mind a bit

 

[Cats Twine]

Hi sirhc

No you won't find my business listed on this name. I have other account for business.

Fingers crossed then that it's just a chance drop for no apparent reason and things hopefully will improve.

Good luck and thank you for taking the time to reply

[Drake1 Nightfire]

---

Cats Twine wrote:

Hi sirhc

No you won't find my business listed on this name. I have other account for business.

Fingers crossed then that it's just a chance drop for no apparent reason and things hopefully will improve.

Good luck and thank you for taking the time to reply

---

So, you are going to be one of "those" posters... Nut up and come on with your merchant av. When merchants come here whining about the MP on an alt, all it does is create FUD. Are you ashamed of your store? Do you not want to boost your sales? Coming here on your merchant av on a thread like this will drive people to see your store.

[Cats Twine]

Hi Drake

No I don't need to 'Nutt Up'

I don't feel I am 'whining'

No I don't feel 'ashamed.' (Strange assumption)

I simply exercise my right not to do so for my own personal reasons.

I am asking for feedback 'generally' about what has already happened prior to my post and have no wish to manipulate my post to divert sales from here in the forum.

As far as I can see, I have been respectful and appropriate and made no assumptions about potential whineyness, lack of ability to 'Nutt Up' or raised a question about someone's shame! I would deem that to be a tad unfair and presumptious . . .

Thank you for your reply

 

 

[Pamela Galli]

A couple of weeks ago MP sales dropped -- I figured it was LL screwing around with search again. You know their penchant for dreaming up new ways to destroy sales.

[Cats Twine]

Hi Pamela

I do recall occasions over the years where LL have had problems with the whole MP site having tech problems causing issues with searching.

Not aware of anything reported recently though?

I hope that's all it is maybe ! (fingers crossed)

Thank you for replying

[WickedWanda1956]

And I am one of them. As a consumer, I will be riding out this storm (although I will no longer pay rent or purchase anything new). The land barons are just outright screwed. But the business owners like yourself have to come up with some hard decisions with very little concrete information. You can either bury your head in the sand (or if you prefer I keep thinking of the scene at the end of "Animal House" where Kevin Bacon is holding up his hands and yelling "Every one remain calm!) or shift to another sim (like Virtual Attire did on Tuesday). I do know that the Firestorm team will be holding a meeting this afternoon at 1 pm SLT to discuss this and try to quell the panic. Whatever you decide I wish you luck and for all you ostriches on this forum, don't waste your time replying, I won't take the bait. I think you are wrong, you think I am wrong, so be it, time will tell which one of us was right.

[Pamela Galli]

No they don't report their screw ups, and my not be aware of them. I think periodically they erase all data about sales, so stuff that was showing high in search just disappears. I gave up monitoring what they do, it's too depressing.

[Cats Twine]

Hi Wanda

So by your reply, I am taking it that you think one cause could be the impact or Ebbe's announcement which is indeed covered in another thread.

I'll be honest with you and tell you that this is also my feeling to.

I have chose for the moment to keep an open mind hoping that there could be other reasons. Wishful thinking on my behalf yes, but one can remain hopeful just for the balance.

I also wish you luck to Wanda, and I hope for a bright outcome for everyone.

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

 

 

 

 

[Cats Twine]

Half time post:

 

Just a reminder for context and for keeping my post on topic that references have been made several replies in my thread regarding Ebbe's announcement.

If you haven't seen it and wish to, it can be found for viewing and discussion specifically in the following thread:

 

Ebbe's announcement thread

 

If anyone has any other theories regarding my topic I am still interested to hear from you please!

[Phil Deakins]

---

Cats Twine wrote:

Hi Wanda

So by your reply, I am taking it that you think one cause could be the impact or Ebbe's announcement which is indeed covered in another thread.

I'll be honest with you and tell you that this is also my feeling to.

I have chose for the moment to keep an open mind hoping that there could be other reasons. Wishful thinking on my behalf yes, but one can remain hopeful just for the balance. 

---

I'm not suggesting one thing ot the other. It may well be that it's just one of those things that happen from time to time, but, if it is a result of the announcement, it'll blow over soon enough - as soon as people realise that nothing is imminent, and that, whatever happens, it's at least 2 years away. Then things will get back to normal.

[Cats Twine]

Hi Phil

I do have my own thought's on Ebbe's announcement and when I get some more time later, I will post them in the other thread.

 

Nice to hear from you.

[WickedWanda1956]

I see the current SL population breaking into three groups :

 

1. Those people who will continue on as if Friday's announcement had never occurred. Business-as-usual

2. Those people who will remain in SL but no longer spend (or at best very little) money. Skeptics

3. Those people who go on to other grids. Cutting their losses

I have spent the vast majority of my time the past three days looking at alternatives to Second Life and frankly I have not found anything even half as good as we have it in Second Life now (even with all the warts(mesh)). That being said, for me (as a consumer), I will be in the second group.

[Phil Deakins]

There is no other place that gats anywhere close to SL, so the group 3 people will be back

I'm sure you're right about group 2 but, imo, they'll drift out of it soon enough. Right now, people are behaving as though there's something imminent about to happen but, as soon as it dawns on them that it's at least 2 years away, on most likely more than that, then they'll drift into group 1 and enjoy SL as they always have done. That's an opinion, of course.

The group 1 folks, of which I am one, have got it right

[WickedWanda1956]

Hi Phil, I really hope you are right about it all. I saw nothing in the past three days that was good in my opinion. I have started to back track myself and said spending a little money (but I don't see myself renting again but I was leaning that way before last week anyway). I have a couple of places (non-business) I like to go to now and if they suddenly close, I might have to rethink staying.

[Vinten]

No disrespect mean't guys but I think Cats made a respectful attempt to keep the subject matter relevant to her original post 'on topic' to that effect.

Cats I feel that your trying to gauge balanced consensus for the reasons concerning your sales downturn. I admire you for taking that unbiased approach.

My personal answer to you is 'loss of confidence' as a direct result of Ebbe post. I cannot decide if I think the effect will be temp or permanently damaging.

I see no other reason?

Like you I do share your desire to discuss the politics of that one subject (Ebb Post) in the other thread you listed earlier.

[Rhys Goode]

I've been selling things in SL for 6 years, and it is always a puzzle to me that sales will dry up for a week or two, then trickle back.  So far June has been a below average month for me.  It seems like MP has been more of a struggle than usual to use, I gave up a couple of rounds of shopping out of frustration.  At any rate, my sales have actually picked up this week, I sold more things yesterday than I did all of last week.

Go figure.