Mon, 16 Mar 2026 20:32:55 -0600WeeblySat, 15 Feb 2014 06:38:32 GMThttps://www.bemyguestdenver.com/auction-blog/nice-consignment-shops-in-denverThere are some consignment shops in Colorado focusing on upscale items. If you have spare time, they may be good shopping destinations. During the past few years, Twice As Haute and Celine's have closed their doors, but the following ones are still striving.

1. Clothes Mentor 8872 Maximus Dr Lone Tree, CO 80124
2. Rags Consignments 2027 W 32nd Ave Denver, CO 80211
3. Buffalo Exchange 51 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203
4. Wardrobe Works 126 West 12th Avenue, Denver, CO 80204
5. Your Best Friend's Closet 2910 E 6th Ave, Denver, CO 80206
6. Puttin' on the Ritz 1446 South Colorado Blvd Denver, CO 80222
7. Mercer Place 1388 S Broadway, Denver CO 80210

]]>Tue, 11 Feb 2014 01:59:00 GMThttps://www.bemyguestdenver.com/auction-blog/do-you-knowAs of this minute, there are 35555 Louis Vuitton items currently selling on eBay, 26593 handbags and bags, 4847 women's accessories and 1096 shoes.

There are 33643 Chanel fashion items currently selling on eBay, 14856 handbags and bags, 6628 women's clothing, 6144 women's shoes, and 5212 women's accessories.

Selling to tens of millions of potential bidders, do you want to sell to one of them?]]>Tue, 11 Feb 2014 01:48:35 GMThttps://www.bemyguestdenver.com/auction-blog/why-cant-i-sell-in-a-shopping-centreIt is an article from PropertyWeek.com dated 01/24/2014.

hopping centres allowing the Big Issue to be sold inside would be “game changing” for the charity. But the mall owners are a tough nut to crack, as David Hatcher discovers. Photograph by Stefan Wermuth Who are these heartless people who own shopping centres? Why don’t they just say: ‘Come inside here mate, where it’s a bit warmer’ when it’s raining or snowing? What’s the big deal? It’s just a shopping street under cover.”

Simon Mott (pictured) cannot understand why he and his fellow Big Issue vendors are not allowed to sell their magazines inside shopping centres.

As Stephen Robertson, chief executive of the Big Issue Foundation points out: “Selling newspapers in the rain is not much fun. They don’t last long and it’s hard work.”

If shopping centre owners were to allow vendors to operate inside the entrances of their centres, it would be “game changing” for the Big Issue, says Robertson. He is desperate for the “traditional resistance” that he has faced from centre owners to abate.

The Big Issue is running a competition to design a shop or pop-up stand from which vendors can operate. Entries close in two weeks and judging — in which architect George Clarke, who fronts Channel 4 show George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, is involved — will be completed by the end of next month.



Robertson’s goal is to have 50 vendors operating from shopping centres across the country in the next two years, predominantly from these stands. He hopes the sales points will be welcomed by shopping centres, as they will provide a sense of professionalism and coherency.

Prompted by his emotive call at last September’s RESI 2013 conference for more assistance for vendors, Property Week two months ago approached five of the UK’s largest shopping centre owners — British Land, Hammerson, Intu Properties, Land Securities and Westfield — about allowing Big Issue vendors into their shopping centres, and put them in touch with Robertson.

Such a simple change has the potential to dramatically improve the fortunes of people that are homeless. With that in mind, Property Week spoke to owners, vendors and those that have set up similar initiatives in other sectors to see how such a scheme could work and why some landlords are reluctant to change.

A few have been receptive and are open to the possibility of making progress. Others did not contact Robertson, reasoning that, as they support other charities, they cannot have Big Issue vendors in their centres.

“No one is vocal enough to actually say that they think a vendor would be unsightly or disruptive, but there is a common misapprehension with people that are homeless in general that people think it would be better if they just weren’t there,” says Robertson. “But actually, these are hard-working business people.”

Vendors, who have no permanent accommodation, buy the Big Issue for half of its £2.50 cover price. The process is designed to instil the concept of saving into vendors, as they have to use some of their proceeds to buy new magazines.

They sell the magazine from a designated pitch and must abide by the Big Issue’s extensive code of conduct, or they will not be sold any more copies and will lose their livelihood. The code includes not being under the influence of any substances, not obstructing the public, and clearly displaying Big Issue identification and uniform at all times.

Were Big Issue vendors taken on by centre owners, they would be experienced salespeople that would be hand-picked by the foundation and the shopping centre concerned to ensure that all parties were comfortable with the idea.

This has been the case when other corporate entities — among them law firms — have taken on vendors to sell the magazine on their premises. They include Cadbury’s, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Simmons & Simmons (box, below).

“We’d be happy to talk about any issue regarding specific concerns,” says Robertson. “It wouldn’t be a wide interview process [for vendors], as we would be looking for people who were ‘further down their journey’. It would be an opportunity for more established vendors that are well known to us and are ready for the next stage.”

Out in the coldShopping centres are doubly frustrating for vendors. Not only are they unable to benefit from the malls’ high footfall, and warm and dry environment, but shoppers are often sucked into centres and away from the streets on which vendors are based.

“Shoppers go straight in there, stay for a while and then go straight back out again,” adds Robertson. “It’s a barrier, and business we can’t mop up from the outside that easily from where the footfall has been displaced. In those instances, we’ve got a particular desire to get vendors into the centres.”

Cross examination: Hammerson met Big Issue to assess charity’s aspirations of working with shopping centre landlords

In the two months since British Land, Intu, Hammerson, Land Securities and Westfield were contacted, only Hammerson has met Robertson to discuss his ideas.

“We had a positive meeting with the Big Issue to understand more about its business and aspirations for working with landlords,” says Peter Cooper, Hammerson retail portfolio director.

“We are undertaking a much wider piece of work on the experience within our shopping centres over the first half of this year, looking at customer experience, how the centres become wider hubs within their communities and how we engage with local organisations and national charities.”

Intu also made contact with Robertson and is open to the idea of finding a way for Big Issue vendors to operate within its centres.

Its operations director, Gordon McKinnon, says: “Intu, as with most major landlords, has had a policy of not allowing Big Issue sellers to operate from our centres, as the Big Issue operating model didn’t fit within our promise to our customers. We are, however, open to discussing with the Big Issue the ideas it has for alternative ways of selling the Big Issue, and a date is in the diary to do just that.”

Conflict of interestsBritish Land, Land Securities and Westfield, on the other hand, made no contact with the Big Issue about discussing its ideas for the sale of the magazine in their centres. The trio unquestionably support other charities, but in doing so, each said this would preclude Big Issue vendors from selling within their centres or that it would not be possible to have a central policy on the matter.

A spokeswoman for Westfield says: “We receive a large number of requests from charities to partner with them and unfortunately we can’t say yes to them all. In terms of charity support in the UK, Westfield focuses specifically on the theme of children’s health and education, and has established a long-term partnership with Save the Children. To ensure we can maximise our support, both financial and brand presence, there is currently no scope to work with other charities, including the Big Issue, on an ongoing basis.”

Similarly, a spokeswoman for British Land says: “We aim to support a wide range of charities and our experience shows that charities have the most success when they are the only one at a centre on any given date.”

British Land does not have a policy “that allows or disallows Big Issue salespeople in our shopping centres” and “all charitable organisations are welcome to apply for pitches at our centres”.

Land Securities also says that it does not have “a central policy on individual charities, other than one national charity partner”.

A spokeswoman says: “Therefore, we wouldn’t consider it appropriate to make an exception to do this for the Big Issue or any other cause”.

A Big Issue salesperson wanting to set up pitch in a Land Securities mall would have to contact the particular centre’s management. “Our local centres decide on an individual basis which local charities or causes to support,” she adds.

The company says it does “have Big Issue sellers operating at a small number of our centres”, naming Lewisham Shopping Centre in south-east London. However, when Property Week contacted Lewisham’s management about buying a Big Issue, it was told that vendors operate only outside the front of the centre.

Despite these barriers, Robertson is hopeful that if landlords such as Hammerson and Intu find room for one of the new pop-ups, the idea will soon spread among other owners.

“It will just take someone who gets it and is in the right position and with the right connections and influence to create the opportunity to make it happen,” he says. “It takes only one owner to do it and see that it works, and then hopefully it will catch on.”

Owners of shopping centres in the UK have the opportunity to make a tangible, positive impact on the livelihoods of homeless people that sell the Big Issue. In the meantime, vendors will sell out in the cold, waiting for that first landlord to make a commitment. 

Company schemes provide blueprint
For more than three years Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has taken on a vendor to sell the Big Issue one day a week at its Fleet Street office. The vendors are given six-month placements. Six have so far taken on the role.

Fellow law firm Simmons & Simmons, and Cadbury’s operate similar initiatives. These schemes could be replicated by shopping centre owners. The Big Issue would help to source appropriate vendors.

“We sat down with the Big Issue and we were looking for someone who had worked quite hard to make an impression on them and wanted to make the next step,” says Juliet Holden, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s corporate responsibility executive.

“I knew one of the vendors we took on — they worked outside Blackfriars Tube station. But we work together with the Big Issue, as it is the expert on its vendors and knows who would be the right fit.”

Legal history: Freshfields Deringer Bruckhaus offers Big Issue sellers six-month placements and a chance to learn office skills

As a result of the office placements, the vendors’ operations are much more profitable. The initiative has also improved engagement between the company’s staff and clients, and Big Issue sellers. The law firm also provides the vendors with work experience at quieter times of the day to help them build their skills.

“We give them training in a variety of different areas across our departments including IT, human resources, the staff restaurant and reprographics,” says Holden. “We put in place a mentoring scheme, so they have someone to help put a plan of action together. It has been very successful and our first vendor now has a role in our billing department.”

Allowing vendors inside shopping centres, operating in a similar way to the highly professional environment of Freshfields’ office, is something that Holden believes would enhance a shopping centre.

“If there was a similar scheme in a shopping centre, they wouldn’t be dealing with a new vendor every week,” she adds. “It is almost like you sponsor a vendor, and I think it would be rewarding for owners and for their customers.”

Shopping centres need educating

Simon Mott (pictured), 49, sells the Big Issue outside South Kensington Tube station. A former London Underground driver, he was left without a job three years after an accident in which the Tube he was driving crashed into a tree.

Simon Mott

Once a week he volunteers at lesbian, gay and bisexual charity Stonewall. Another day each week, he sells the magazine at law firm Simmons & Simmons, where he also benefits from work experience across several departments, among them finance and the post room. He has set up a card reader system so that he can take payments from customers who do not have cash, and is the process of setting up an eBay shop.

Mott is perhaps not what is considered to be the “average” Big Issue salesperson, but is an example of the type of vendor that shopping centre landlords could have operating in their malls.

He baulks at the attitude of prohibitive owners that do not allow vendors inside their centres.

“[The pop-up stands] should give it a more professional image and vendors would obviously be handpicked,” he says. “We’re not all hanging around a cash machine with a dog on a string.”

The attitude of landlords needs to change, asserts Mott, who says they need to gain a greater understanding of how the Big Issue operates.

“There is probably some stereotyping and prejudice among those shopping centres that don’t understand what the Big Issue does and what it’s about,” he adds. “They need to be educated.

“It’s not clashing with anyone’s business. It’s something new. It’s not like selling burgers outside McDonald’s or shirts outside Next. People are charitable and they do like to give money as long as there is the right vendor. And there is no reason why that can’t be done.”

The local knowledge that vendors bring would also be an asset to shopping centres, believes Mott, who says he frequently gives out nuggets of information to tourists to help them on their way.

“I give tourists lots of information, from what is on in the area, where is the best place to eat and where the nearest cash machine is, through to where the Queen lives and how many pence there are in the pound. We could always tell people where different shops were, the best place to get things from and where there’s a sale on,” he adds.

A hand-up, not a handout
When I contacted five of the UK’s largest shopping centre owners — British Land, Hammerson, Intu, Land Securities and Westfield — more than two months ago to tell them about the ambition of the Big Issue Foundation’s chief executive, Stephen Robertson, to get vendors into shopping centres, I was hopeful of a positive reception.

It is a matter that would be “game changing”, as Robertson describes it, and these companies operate in a sector that frequently makes bold statements of charity. Whether it is someone sticking their hand up for an exorbitant lot in a charity auction after a few glasses of bubbly or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the property industry is undoubtedly generous. This request was simpler, utilising the resources that companies already have.

Generally, I found their reactions to be disappointing. Hats off to Hammerson for being the only company to meet Robertson and for Intu for getting something set up. Let’s hope that tangible progress is made.

The responses of British Land, Land Securities and Westfield are saddening. Helping other charities — which they undoubtedly do — does not exclude the possibility of having vendors or vendor pop-ups within centres, and suggesting as such is wrong. What the Big Issue is looking for is “a hand-up, not a handout”.

If it is OK for upmarket law firms and their clients, why not for landlords and their shoppers?

If you are a tenant or landlord of a shopping centre or any other building, and would like to consider having a vendor operating from your property, the Big Issue and Property Week want to hear from you, so that we can cover the progress made.








]]>Tue, 11 Feb 2014 01:43:24 GMThttps://www.bemyguestdenver.com/auction-blog/online-selling-trends-2014It is an article from eCommerce Bytes dated 01/15/2014.

Each January we ask a panel of industry experts about the challenges and opportunities they see for online sellers in the New Year. This year, we began by asking some online sellers for their perspective - links to the first three installments follow at the end of today's article.

The Online Selling Trends feature goes beyond the usual sound bites and promotion and is an opportunity to hear thoughtful answers about issues facing online sellers.

Today, we start off with an introduction to the members of this year's panel with a description of what they do, followed by their answers to the questions, "What are the biggest challenges facing online sellers going into the New Year?" and "What are the biggest opportunities for online sellers?"

In future installments we'll hear what the panel has to say about marketing tactics, Amazon - friend or foe, Google PLAs, and free shipping or no free shipping?

An Introduction to Panelists

GoDaddy SVP of Productivity Apps Steven Aldrich
I lead Productivity Applications for GoDaddy. We have over 12 million customers and are tirelessly working to tilt the global economy toward small business. Our services empower people to easily start, confidently grow and successfully run their own ventures.

I have been an entrepreneur multiple times, despite advice from my Dad, a professor who researches start-ups who told me that the likelihood of success was low. Outside of GoDaddy, Steven is President of the Board of the Bay Area Glass Institute (BAGI.org), a non-profit glass studio, and enjoys spending time with Allison and their son, Jackson, at many sports and arts events.

Endicia General Manager Amine Khechfe
As general manager and co-founder of Endicia, I spend my days thinking about how our technologies can make ecommerce and shipping easier for our customers. Our goal is to make the shipping portion less complicated so customers can focus on growing their business. This includes working with our team to ensure we continually innovate our shipping software.

I also spend a great deal of time connecting with customers to discuss their shipping challenges and successes. Their feedback influences a lot of our software innovations, and I love being able to troubleshoot and offer advice that helps streamline the shipping experience.

StellaService CEO Jordy Leiser
StellaService is dedicated to creating a world with better customer service - helping businesses achieve it and consumers find it. We're the first and only independent provider of customer service ratings and syndicated customer service performance data for online retailers. Via a national network of full-time digital mystery shoppers, StellaService tests the customer service and fulfillment abilities of businesses on a daily basis.

This empirical, unbiased data powers Stella Metrics, the only platform for monitoring, benchmarking and improving the end-to-end service experience of online retailers across scores of operational metrics in key areas such as chat, email, phone, social media and fulfillment. The largest retailers use StellaService data to make smarter business decisions.

Challenges and Opportunities in the Year Ahead

EcommerceBytes: What are the biggest challenges facing online sellers going into the New Year?

GoDaddy SVP of Productivity Apps Steven Aldrich: Continued consolidation of buyers to the biggest marketplaces Amazon and eBay - they were the top two ecommerce destinations during the holiday shopping period. To grow, it will be necessary to have a presence on one of those sites or put significant effort to create sustainable traffic to your own online presence.

Mobile product search will continue to grow making a mobile-enabled website critical to get found. This requires additional investment in your website and ecommerce infrastructure to optimize the display of your products on a mobile device and make purchasing easy.

The increasing speed of delivery for online purchases - moving from next day to same day - is raising the bar on customer expectations. Amazon continues its investment in distribution centers which are now within 100 miles of more than half of the 20 largest cities in the US, eBay Now is in four major cities, and Google is testing "Google Express" in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Endicia General Manager Amine Khechfe: Last year, I talked about marketplaces and how important it is for online sellers to gain visibility and differentiate themselves on these big platforms. This year, I think we are going to see marketplaces take over.

More and more online sellers are looking to expand their audience and grow their business, and one of the best-known ways is through marketplaces. But it doesn't come without challenges - one being the ability to stay true to who you are as a business, and another being the need to continually offer unique products or differentiated service to successfully compete. I think we are going to see a lot on marketplaces (and perhaps some frustration from merchants) in 2014.

Another trend we're seeing is that traditional retailers are flexing their ecommerce muscle. There are increasingly more big-box retailers offering free shipping and in-store returns for online orders, which I think can turn into a threat for online sellers. Many customers find it easier to drop by the mall to return a product than contact a seller for a return shipping label.

As a result, online sellers should become more flexible and streamlined with their return policies - maybe proactively offer return shipping labels with all orders sent out.

In the shipping world, we are going to see greater demand for next-day delivery - maybe even same-day - which can turn into a challenge if online sellers do not have the correct resources in place.

StellaService CEO Jordy Leiser: We have a poster hanging in our office that reads "Great customer service is simple. Be fast, friendly and helpful." And, that's the challenge. Be fast, friendly and helpful.

We understand that the concept is simple, while the execution is not. This is why we deliver to our clients true business performance data that enables them to understand both the speed and quality of their customer service. What's more, we provide the same data on their competitors, which gives them a reliable benchmark for setting internal goals.

Retailers must pick those operational metrics that need improvement, track them diligently and implement changes that will result in happy customers.

EcommerceBytes: What are the biggest opportunities for online sellers?

GoDaddy SVP of Productivity Apps Steven Aldrich: Ecommerce volume continues to grow at more than 3X the rate of retail sales but still only represent 6% of the total. So there is lots of growth ahead for online sellers. The basic formula for retail success has not changed for centuries: unique product offering, clear brand and pricing alignment (low cost/value vs luxury/premium good), great customer service, and location, location, location. These apply equally to online and off-line retailers.

I don't claim to know enough to spot the next big trend, but here are three areas to explore:

1) Excitement has been building among consumers about handmade goods. Etsy crossed $1B in sales in 2013, crowd funding sites have been boosted by several high-profile projects, and a growing number of workshops like TechShop that provide access to equipment to build unique/custom products. Do you have custom or handmade products today and are you touting the story of their production? Can you add custom or handmade goods to your inventory or create them?

2) If you have both an online presence and a physical location, use 2014 to test services that differentiate your products from others. There are new ways to use the growth in local search to get found. We've seen a big jump in interest in discovery marketing from a company we've bought called Locu. Can you offer hands-on training at your location for new customers? What events can you promote online and host to bring prospects and customers into the store?

3) The rise of image-driven marketing is another way to promote your products. Instagram, Pinterest, and even Facebook provide a mix of organic and paid search options and can make a difference in your business by finding new buyers.

Endicia General Manager Amine Khechfe: I see cross-border trade as one of the most exciting trends of 2014. We will see an easing of complexity, especially between the United States and Canada, which will simplify international commerce (including returns) and benefit companies with business in both countries.

Another area where we are seeing a lot of opportunity is in mobile. Take this past holiday season - tablet-based sales grew 3% while phone-based sales grew 6% over 2012. It's time for online sellers to look into optimizing their storefront for the mobile shopping experience.

StellaService CEO Jordy Leiser: Consumers are realizing that the product they want is available at many retailers and all of those retailers are price matching. So, with price and selection being equal, there has to be a differentiator.

We believe that differentiator is customer service.

Let's be honest, Amazon Prime has set consumer expectations. We all want orders to arrive in two days. Delivery speed is just one metric, there are hundreds more that are an opportunity for retailers to stand out in crowded field of competitors by going above and beyond with customer service.

]]>Tue, 11 Feb 2014 01:36:15 GMThttps://www.bemyguestdenver.com/auction-blog/the-best-place-to-sell-your-designer-itemsThis is an article from the website of Lollipuff dated 02/24/2013.

It's hard to sell designer items. You need the transaction to be safe, and you want a fair price for your item. There's a number of choices of where to sell your Chanel, Christian Louboutin, and Herve Leger......

eBay

Selling fees are reasonable (approximately 9%-12%). Most online auction sites charge for much more.

However a common problem is when a buyer claims an authentic item as fake. This is a horrible experience! The eBay claims process can take up to a few months and is tremendously stressful. Ultimately, this can result in a lost item and lost payment.

It's also somewhat frustrating to see fakes sold alongside your authentic item. Sometimes, the fakes sell for just as much! Though there are a lot of people who will see your listing, many of them can't tell if your item is real.

The sales process of eBay was originally built for less costly transactions. The way they deal with disputes is not ideal for higher priced designer items. For instance, it's crazy that sellers cannot give anything BUT positive feedback to buyers! The transaction of designer goods needs to be operated differently.

eBay Consignment

These are consignment stores that do the selling for you on eBay. You get hit with their fees (25-50%) AND eBay fees (9-12%) and PayPal fees (3-4%). And, most of the time, they don't sell the items any higher than you would yourself.

To sell an item online, you just need to take pictures, fill out a form and ship when it has been paid for. Even though the eBay selling form is a bit clunky, it's not hard and is quite quick. If you're dealing with a consignment store that sells on eBay, you'll still have to ship or deliver that item to them and fill out a form.

Other Consignment outside of eBay (online and brick and mortar)

Once again, you get much much less money than you would if you sell it yourself. Some people literally feel scammed after going through the consignment process. Because consignment services have to pay for their resources and time, and because they want a guaranteed sale, the fees are very high (usually 30-60%). This is the reason why most computer savvy people still use eBay to sell their items. And, many online consignment stores won't even accept your items, unless you are an established business!

With consignment, the most common complaints are how little money you get for your item (or how much they keep). Another problem is that it can take a VERY VERY long time to sell your item. Sometimes, over a year! I don't know about you, but I don't want to be away from my very expensive item for that long and wait that long to be paid! It's NOT easier than selling it yourself. You still have to fill out a form, ship or deliver the item to the consignment store, and communicate with the consignment store. It's also somewhat worrisome to have your item not be in your own possession before payment is completed.

Finally, don't assume that all items at consignment stores (online and offline) are authentic. It's impossible to authenticate hundreds if not thousands of different designers without many authentication experts. I've seen fakes being sold by consignment stores offline and online. The more a consignment store focuses on particular designers, the more reputable they tend to be. If any site claims 100% authenticity but have tons of different brands, I'd be somewhat suspicious......
]]>