RETAIL INTERVIEW OnBuy.com
Onwards and
upwards
Toys and games are always strong sellers on OnBuy.com across all ages and a wide range of interests. TnP talks to Cas Paton, founder and CEO of this fast-growing online marketplace What’s your background?
Tell us a bit about OnBuy.
Before I created OnBuy, I had been running website development companies since I was 21 (back in 2006!) and working as an ecommerce consultant for organisations such as NATO and the NHS. It became evident that many businesses felt a sense of dissatisfaction with the services offered by online marketplaces, which was affecting their ability to maximise their ecommerce trading. As I dug deeper, I realised that the existing ecommerce marketplace model was inherently flawed. The central issue was that, typically, marketplaces also function as retailers. Sellers who use these platforms are regarded as ‘third parties’ and are expected to go toeto-toe against the same platforms they’re supposed to be able to trust to give them a fair deal. Despite this business model being the status quo in ecommerce, it didn’t make it right - and it didn’t give sellers the best opportunity to grow their businesses.
I put together a team and launched OnBuy in 2016, creating a true marketplace where sellers and buyers can connect securely, and where we focus on facilitating that The toys relationship rather than selling & games our own products. OnBuy has more than 35 million listed category is products, sold by thousands of among the independent sellers. Not one strongest in of those products is listed or stocked by OnBuy itself, and our entire never will be. We have more catalogue than eight million customers and counting, with a 4.7/5 rating on Trustpilot across more than 27,000 reviews. We’ve successfully grown over 600% year-on-year for the past three years. We’re expanding globally, so our growth is only set to continue!
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What are your key toys & games categories? Because OnBuy works with independent sellers, as well as with toy brands and manufacturers directly, our range is substantial. Toys
& games are always strong sellers on OnBuy across all ages and interests. We’ve divided our toys & games category into 18 subcategories: action figures & playsets; baby & toddler toys; building & construction toys; children’s arts & crafts; classic toys; dolls, puppets & accessories; educational toys & games; electronic toys; fancy dress; games & magic sets; hobbies; jigsaws & puzzles; musical toy instruments; outdoor toys & games; pretend play; soft toys & teddies; sports toys; and toy vehicles.
How is the toys & games category performing generally? The toys & games category is among the strongest in our entire catalogue. Our sellers are amazing at keeping up with trends and the latest releases especially as many of them are physical toy shops using OnBuy to set up their ecommerce sales channel, or brands directly selling via OnBuy.
What products are popular at the moment? Many of our most popular products
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