Not On The High Street

[a1anm]

Has anyone had any dealings with http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/ ?

I just received a nice hand written letter inviting me to join as a seller. It appears to be a curated marketplace. They didn't confirm in the letter but I did some googling and it seems as if they charge 25%. Seems steep but apparently they do a lot of marketing and you can get quite a lot of sales.

I have emailed to try and find out some more info but just wondered if anyone has any experiences with them, good or bad?

Thanks!

 

[JMRidley]

I'd say go for it and take it as a compliment! I know several people who have tried to get on there but not made it through their selection criteria. It's a lovely site, really well laid out with a great selection of products. I've signed up to their newsletters and get regular, really nice brochures through the door which generally tempt me to buy something (I got Christmas presents for some of my family from their last Christmas brochure). I've heard that their commission rates are high but they clearly spend a lot of money on marketing and unlike Amazon they won't start selling your product themselves and undercut you!

 

[KRange]

i know a few sites that offer out an additional platform to sell your products, ive dealt with quirkiegifts . co . uk in the past, they have their own products as the majority but also offer space for you to sell your goods at 10%

I think the more places you have your products the better, compliment for them to contact you as theyve come across your website and they like what you have to sell. Plus a bonus if they do all the marketing then its a weight off your shoulders slightly

good luck!

 

[GoPD]

I was aware of the website, but I've never seen any marketing or direct advertising for it. I've thought items always seemed a little pricey on there so its not a website I return to often, but from what you've said I guess this is sellers adding in the 25% to make a profit.

I didn't realise it was a resellers site from browsing and I agree its a professionally made and laid out website. Let us know how you get on.

 

[KRange]

i did sell goods though quirkie but my supplier has closed so i no longer have the products to sell so unfortunately had to ask them to take my items off their site but i received 13 orders and its been live for 4 weeks. they use ppc direct for my products which was really good and social networking.
i agree some prices are high but qualities good and long lasting. i did purchase the fairy lights for garden parties there very good.
good luck with your site looks great!

 

[Hire Centre]

The way they work is that by u uploading products and selling through their site, u are In Fact building their site up in google and improving their ranking. Google sees they are constantly growing and crawls their site more. They are far to diverse and not niche enough, the keywords they are saying their appear one page one for don't have that much competition .it's not impossible for u to do this yourself.

It's also very much like my lead generator website whereby I have customers products on my site.
It would interesting to see how many unique visitors they get per and what their bounce rate is. Also I think they are encouraging u to do and spend the money for them to get the publicity.
A well run local small website can compete , u just need good content teach yourself some seo , link building and ur away
Pete

 

[a1anm]

The way they work is that by u uploading products and selling through their site, u are In Fact building their site up in google and improving their ranking. Google sees they are constantly growing and crawls their site more. They are far to diverse and not niche enough, the keywords they are saying their appear one page one for don't have that much competition .it's not impossible for u to do this yourself.

It's also very much like my lead generator website whereby I have customers products on my site.
It would interesting to see how many unique visitors they get per and what their bounce rate is. Also I think they are encouraging u to do and spend the money for them to get the publicity.
A well run local small website can compete , u just need good content teach yourself some seo , link building and ur away
Pete

I don't think it is all about SEO. They attend wedding fairs (I've seen them at one in Glasgow), send out brochures in the mail, send 3.5 million customer emails per month and attract 500,000 uniques per month so the exposure you would receive is a lot more than most small businesses could in a short time period.

Anyway, I have spoken to them and have decided to go ahead with it so I'll let you all know how I get on!

 

[KRange]

good luck

 

[tootalpip]

Hi Alan

I've had dealings with them in the past. The only thing that annoys me is that they still use my products for their online advertising so people looking for my products often get re-directed to their site to find the product is no longer available. They are then tempted by all of the other thousands of products on there.

I'm not sure how re-sellers do it to be honest as they have so many partners and you have to absorb carriage costs yourself (not sure if this is still the case). If you are a maker and your product is right for their catchment then you'll probably do OK.

If you are a maker there is also Etsy and Folksy.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[LianneF]

They are one of the big players in the gift market and are ranking on page 1 for some big keywords. Everywhere i go online I keep seeing their ads and they are appearing on page 1 for more keywords too so are pushing forward. I would go for it and see what happens.

 

[Jeff FV]

Funny - I started to write a reply, but have deleted for fear of incurring the wrath of NOTHS.

They are the main player in the sector, but they do charge you for that privilege and they do like to dictate what you can and can't do online. Yes, the catalogues are good, but you pay to go in it.

Some people do very well out of it and it is there sole source of income, others less so.

If you want anymore info, drop me a pm.

 

[tootalpip]

Funny - I started to write a reply, but have deleted for fear of incurring the wrath of NOTHS.

They are the main player in the sector, but they do charge you for that privilege and they do like to dictate what you can and can't do online. Yes, the catalogues are good, but you pay to go in it.

Some people do very well out of it and it is there sole source of income, others less so.

If you want anymore info, drop me a pm.

Well worth taking dots and spots up on his kind offer.

 

[AndyP]

...... Everywhere i go online I keep seeing their ads <snip>

Surely that's just google adsense? Nothing wrong with that of course but its not really an indication that the company is huge although that's the point of them of course

 

[Hire Centre]

If they are appearing on page 1 , it's because they are using all your products to do it. Google thinks they are growing naturally, whilst in fact its all you lot maintaining the listings that is doing it for them . They then get a large number of items on the page for a product/theme thing add a bit of unique content and hey presto... page 1 of google and you're down on 10..

My business uses a similar technique.

All I am saying , is if its sounds to good to be true, it normally is....

What you also need to remember is that if you're products and content is duplicated, then you would lose link juice score from google because of it.

 

[a1anm]

What you also need to remember is that if you're products and content is duplicated, then you would lose link juice score from google because of it.

Is that correct? I'm not sure if your site loses any authority with Google if your content is duplicated. Is it not the site that duplicates the content?

Surely this would be an easy way to devalue a competitor? Just duplicate their content all over the web.

 

[Hire Centre]

One of the reason that google panda update came out last year was to re-address the balance because ecommerce site duplicating content everywhere, hence alot of them lost alot of ranking over it.

Pete

 

[Hire Centre]

If you're going to put your products on there, make sure you have some unique content to go with it.

 

[Deleted member 136029]

Hi Alan,

I'm a NOTHs seller, but it was a mistake. It works best for designer/makers who don't have the profile to have a successful website of their own. Before you sign up, they'll lay it on very thick with the flattery and constantly calling etc. You then pay a fee to get in, and 25% commission +VAT on everything you sell. The joining fee is similar to taking out a print ad in the back of a national magazine, which was what swung it for me - it has a similar level of impact, but lasts longer.

The rules go on an on. You aren't allowed to charge more on NOTHs than you do on your own site. You won't be allowed to sell on other marketplaces. You have no access to customer emails for marketing, and must not include anything with your brand on in the order packaging. They will buy AdWords for your business name. You have to pay a processing fee on refunds. If you have your own store, it's a struggle to see how you benefit at all. Unless you're making your own things and have a massive mark up, it's just not worth it. To be a successful seller there you're more like a franchisee than a business owner, you're certainly not master of your own destiny. Over time I have decided that I'd far rather give my 'proper' customers 25% off than sell stuff via NOTHs, but it's not necessary. Stuff shifts at full price on my website anyway. I haven't closed the storefront, but do not push it at all.

Yes they do a lot of marketing, but no one gets in the catalogue without paying. A lot. You'll notice in the catalogue that the products are mentioned by reference number only, so even though you've paid to have your product featured, it does nothing to raise awareness of your brand. If you go in the catalogue, NOTHs will give you a sales prediction. A lot of people have been stung buying in stock & materials to meet the prediction which has turned out to be rubbish and they're out of pocket and stuck with stuff they can't shift. All of the products featured on NOTHs front page or mailouts are ones from sellers who consistently pay to be in the catalogue, which is apparently a complete coincidence.

There's a NOTHs seller forum which is very similar to the eBay seller one - full of people moaning about how it's all gone to the dogs and how they're being ripped off. The site has grown massively in the past few years; there is a lot of very similar stuff on there and frankly, you'd be better off spending the money on AdWords or something.

 

[a1anm]

Hi Alan,

I'm a NOTHs seller, but it was a mistake. It works best for designer/makers who don't have the profile to have a successful website of their own. Before you sign up, they'll lay it on very thick with the flattery and constantly calling etc. You then pay a fee to get in, and 25% commission +VAT on everything you sell. The joining fee is similar to taking out a print ad in the back of a national magazine, which was what swung it for me - it has a similar level of impact, but lasts longer.

The rules go on an on. You aren't allowed to charge more on NOTHs than you do on your own site. You won't be allowed to sell on other marketplaces. You have no access to customer emails for marketing, and must not include anything with your brand on in the order packaging. They will buy AdWords for your business name. You have to pay a processing fee on refunds. If you have your own store, it's a struggle to see how you benefit at all. Unless you're making your own things and have a massive mark up, it's just not worth it. To be a successful seller there you're more like a franchisee than a business owner, you're certainly not master of your own destiny. Over time I have decided that I'd far rather give my 'proper' customers 25% off than sell stuff via NOTHs, but it's not necessary. Stuff shifts at full price on my website anyway. I haven't closed the storefront, but do not push it at all.

Yes they do a lot of marketing, but no one gets in the catalogue without paying. A lot. You'll notice in the catalogue that the products are mentioned by reference number only, so even though you've paid to have your product featured, it does nothing to raise awareness of your brand. If you go in the catalogue, NOTHs will give you a sales prediction. A lot of people have been stung buying in stock & materials to meet the prediction which has turned out to be rubbish and they're out of pocket and stuck with stuff they can't shift. All of the products featured on NOTHs front page or mailouts are ones from sellers who consistently pay to be in the catalogue, which is apparently a complete coincidence.

There's a NOTHs seller forum which is very similar to the eBay seller one - full of people moaning about how it's all gone to the dogs and how they're being ripped off. The site has grown massively in the past few years; there is a lot of very similar stuff on there and frankly, you'd be better off spending the money on AdWords or something.

Hi Fruch,

Thanks for the review. It's good to hear the other side of the story!

I've done some research and spoke to a number of sellers now. Results seem to vary from seller to seller.

We where thinking along the same lines of you ie. the start up fee isn't much more than a small ad in a magazine which usually doesn't generate much ROI for us.

We do however still plan to go ahead with NOTHS and see how it goes for us. I'm confident we will be able to make a few sales which would pay back the start up fee so we see it as relatively low risk.

That's a shame you can't sell the products on NOTHS for more than your own site. I've noticed other sellers are doing this but I guess they just haven't been caught yet. We had planned to make them slightly more so we where competing against ourselves.

I guess time will tell. I'll report back with how we get on.

 

[RedTapePhobic]

Just to add my tuppence worth - in complete agreement with Fruch, would write more but also fear the wrath of NOTHS.

 

[Woodiewood]

Speaking as another NOTHS seller, I've not entered any details about me on here so much do I fear the action they would take if they caught me even discussing these matters. That should tell prospective members a great deal about how this company operates.
There is another thread on these forum about the Amazon 'Price Parity' and how unfair it is. Many people won't know that, as the biggest giftware marketplace (actually is more of a giftware supermarket these days!), NOTHS operate the same policy. They require their sellers to price fix so if you have you own website you must charge the same for your products there as you do on NOTHS or they will remove your products. If you reduce your prices on your own site for a sale, then you must do the same on theirs. Bearing in mind that you'll pay 30% commission (including VAT, which most small businesses won't be claiming back) to sell with them, you'll have to inflate the prices on your own site, even if your overheads are low to keep this parity.
On top of that they constantly move the goal posts and far from being a champion of small businesses, most of the promotion they do is for wholesalers of mass produced things.
The reason they keep getting new sellers in is to get them to pay the joining fee (which is several hundred pounds).
When we joined not long after they first started we were told that they wanted to keep things exclusive, but these days they're being likened more and more to Amazon - they want to be the biggest and they don't seem to care who they tread on in the process. And your face has to fit to become a promoted seller - that's why it's always the same people and products!
Remember also that this isn't some tiny quaint business. They have several Venture Capitalist investors to the tune of many millions of pounds and every time a new investor comes along (they've had another new one in May 2012) they squeeze the sellers that little bit more to ensure the investors make a profit.
So why do we still sell there?
Quite simply they are the biggest and you will most likely get sales from them. These won't be anywhere near the level they promise you but they can be a good stepping stone. As designer-makers, we see them as a necessary evil and the way we have got round their policies is by having a small range exclusive to NOTHS that we don't even put on our own website - that way we get the best of both worlds of using their vast PR and marketing power but without the draconian measures they put in place.

So I send this message not to necessarily put prospective sellers off but at least to make them aware that all is not sweetness and light all of the time. It is only by having both negative and positive viewpoints that you can make an informed decision on what is best for your business.

I would really recommend Not Mass Produced and Gift Wrapped and Gorgeous as fantastic alternatives. These are friendly, helpful and artisan-friendly market places that, although not as big as NOTHS, are rapidly growing and have lower overheads.

 

[AndyP]

Is it just me or for those of us that have been around for a while, does this scenario not sound remarkably like the old eDirectory and its various reincarnations? Does anyone know if its the same crew? From what I have read I suspect so.

 

[Woodiewood]

I don't think it's the same people. Sophie Cornish and Holly Tucker are the founders and owners. Sophie, the elder of the two, is also a journalist for glossy women's magazines and an author (I've heard her mum is the author Penny Vincenzi - I don't know if that's true) and Holly was in marketing.
I couldn't say whether the various investors over the years were involved or not though. The investors are Spark Ventures (since 2006), Venrex (since 2008), Index Ventures (since 2010) and Fidelity Growth Partners Europe in 2012.

 

[AndyP]

Fair enough....was just a "feeling" that I had when I read thru the thread.

 

[DN71]

Never heard of them, sorry.

 

[lob]

Also a seller (and moaner) on NOTHS
Very well 'sold' on the fact that we are 'partners' but it couldn't be further from the truth
New rules coming soon insist prices on own website and NOTHS are the same
And no selling same products on other sites
I don't like being bullied
Amazon is doing the same
This is only the tip of the iceberg
The big marketplace players will soon all insist the prices are the same across the board
Where is the advantage to the customer in that
Not a happy seller