11-28-2006, 12:45 PM
Auctionbytes has an article on the changes at Overstock:
full article: http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y06/m11/i28/s01
Quote:The new head of Overstock.com Auctions is going "back to basics," causing third-party sellers consternation at some of the changes going on at the auction marketplace. Despite apparent fears on the part of sellers that Overstock may be "deemphasizing" or phasing out auctions, Stormy Simon said her job is to create a healthy auction business with a lot of pleased sellers...
One change that had auction sellers steamed was the addition of tabs at the top of Overstock.com pages that they felt overwhelmed the one and only tab that led to auction listings.
Does the design/navigation change put auction listings at a disadvantage? Simon says no. "Every section and department now has an equal playing field. Auctions have the same opportunities as Bed & Bath or Jewelry & Watches. So I'm not sure that I look at it as a disadvantage toward Auctions. We made the changes to our tabs to match our brand, it goes along somewhat with our commercials. It wasn't to de-emphasize any department, it was more to bring all departments to life." Simon said she could not share traffic data, but said, "When you look at consumer behavior, they like the new layout."...
Another area of concern is the decision to remove seller IDs from search results pages. One Overstock.com auction seller said of the change, "Sellers fear that buyers will not want to open each item to see who the seller is."...
full article: http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y06/m11/i28/s01