We’re delighted that you’re considering joining Retail Revival. We hope the below questions and answers will help you decide if this program is right for your business. For more information, please review the Retail Revival Program Overview, or reach out to Austin@ebay.com.
Retail Revival is eBay’s comprehensive training and support program that empowers “Main Street” small businesses to thrive locally by taking full advantage of the digital marketplace and accessing new customers around the world. The program first launched in Akron, Ohio in March 2018 before expanding to Lansing, Michigan, Greensboro, North Carolina and Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the US, plus Wolverhampton, UK, Halifax, Canada and several other cities around the world.
eBay is committed to making the world a better, more prosperous place by enabling economic opportunity for all. While Austin has seen massive growth in the last few years, all too often that has come at the cost of the independent shops and quirky hometown favorites that give Austin its world-renowned unique identity. When these small businesses suffer, so do our neighborhoods and collective sense of community.
As home to hundreds of eBay employees, we have a personal connection to Austin and want to do our part in building a future that is both vibrant and inclusive. Retail Revival is an opportunity for us to do just that. We will help our local small businesses grow by promoting them to the millions of shoppers around the world who use eBay every day.
To date, Retail Revival sellers in the U.S. have sold over 70,000 items to more than 60,000 customers in 153 countries.
At eBay, our driving purpose is to create opportunity for all. Supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses in communities around the world is central to this mission – it’s why we come to work each day, and it’s why we’re here in Austin. There is no fine print and no cost whatsoever to the City of Austin or the small businesses to participate in Retail Revival. As a pure marketplace, eBay “wins” when Austin sellers bring their unique inventory onto our platform and into the carts and lives of our 182M buyers around the world.
No. eBay has enjoyed a long-standing presence in Austin. It’s home to hundreds of our team members, and we’re eager to do our part in helping local businesses thrive. The program is being offered at no cost to the City of Austin or to the participating business owners.
Retail Revival offers a variety of valuable opportunities and perks, 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.
One-on-one coaching from a dedicated customer service support team member.
A complimentary one-year Premium Store subscription.
One-year access to Concierge, eBay’s elite customer support service typically reserved for our highest-performing sellers.
Supplementary business training provided in partnership with local entrepreneurship support organizations.
$0. There is absolutely no cost to any seller to participate in the program.
Like all eBay sellers, Retail Revival participants will be charged a final value fee when they actually sell an item, which depends on the product category of that item. In addition, listing upgrades and promotions are available to help your products stand out on eBay, which involve additional fees. These are completely optional, and it is up to you whether you would like to dedicate budget to these tools. Read more about final value fees, optional listing upgrades and promoted listings.
Just click on the Apply tab at the top of the page, and away you go!
Retail Revival offers much more than just training: it also creates a community of sellers like you looking to grow their sales online. Our previous Retail Revival sellers have hosted listing parties, shared shipping supplies, swapped tips and even met with groups of other local eBay sellers. Being part of the Retail Revival community has helped accelerate their growth and made selling online more fun.
In addition, we help drive traffic to participants’ eBay stores through promotions across eBay.com, a dedicated landing page highlighting Retail Revival sellers, social media storytelling and extensive PR.
We are looking for businesses that bring a distinct Austin and/or Texan perspective. This could mean artists/makers based in Austin, retailers that sell Austin- and Texas-made goods and/or businesses offering items that reflect Austin’s unique culture - such as Western apparel, musical instruments, kayaking equipment, etc.
In addition to the above requirements, there are a few business characteristics that we’ve found to be good indicators (although not guarantees) of success:
Business has been in operation at least one year (means you’ve gotten the hang of your operations and are in a position to start growing).
Business has a clear brand and value proposition (helps to tell your story and stand out from the crowd).
Business has sufficient infrastructure and human resources to grow (will keep you from getting overwhelmed and enable you to create efficient, effective operations).
Business has depth and breadth of inventory (mitigates risk of “empty shelves” and creates multiple ways for shoppers to find and buy from you).
And finally, there are some technical requirements that all applicants must meet:
They must sell a product (not a service) that aligns with one of our product categories.
Technically, yes. But we highly recommend that you adjust your schedule to be able to attend. We are planning a very full and informative day, and you will begin the program at a disadvantage if you are not present. If you absolutely cannot attend, you may designate a representative from your business to participate in your place. Otherwise, this event is open to business owners only.
Several of our previous Retail Revival participants had sold on eBay before joining the program and were looking to fine-tune their eBay expertise. While we aim to help sellers build their eBay stores regardless of experience, we also offer one-on-one attention that will cater to your unique needs and experience level.
We do not ask for or require exclusivity. You are welcome and encouraged to sell on any platform that works for you and your customers. In fact, as part of your training, you will learn about “multi-channel” tools and tactics so you can manage your inventory and sales in the most efficient way possible.
If you resell products (meaning, you do not make your items yourself, you purchase them through a wholesale arrangement and sell directly to your retail customers), you will need to check your contract with your supplier(s) for any potential restrictions on selling through third party platforms such as eBay. We encourage you to do this before you apply to join Retail Revival.
Please reach out to ATX@ebay.com.
