Cafe Press Market Changes

[dalebert]

This is an email I received from Cafe Press. It seems okay for the most part and doesn't seem like it will have a noticeable impact on the Anarchy In Your Head Store, but I can't help but be a little nervous about some of the vagaries like the part I put in bold (yes, emphasis mine). Still, I feel it's my own responsibility to market what I have. I put out advertising to drive traffic directly to my shop and sometimes specific sections, like the ad attached to this message that links to the gadsden designs. If I manage to get a few sales from people just doing searches on the Cafe Press site, I'll consider it icing.

Dear Shopkeeper,

The CafePress Marketplace launched four years ago as a way to showcase Shopkeeper designs to a broader online retail audience. Since then our catalogue has grown to over 300 million products, and each month over 11 million shoppers visit CafePress to find unique and expressive products.

While our Marketplace growth has benefitted many Shopkeepers, others have seen commissions flatten or decline as the Marketplace becomes more saturated with redundant content. It is clear to us that to continue growing our Marketplace, we need to deliver a higher-quality shopping experience to customers, continue to invest in customer acquisition, and maximize conversion.

To do this we're making two key changes:

Beginning today: We'll be making changes in our search platform and algorithm to ensure we're better delivering the designs and merchandise shoppers are looking for. This includes bringing the best designs to the front, and reducing redundant designs.

Beginning June 1st: We'll start setting prices in the Marketplace, and Shopkeepers will receive a 10% commission off the final retail prices from all Marketplace sales. This change provides our shoppers with consistent pricing that's competitive with other online retail stores. It also allows us to better invest in a quality retail experience and continued growth.

These changes DO NOT impact the pricing, markup, or sales you are driving in your own shops. By separating our Marketplace pricing from the prices you set in your shops, we're able to preserve shop base pricing and continue to support Shopkeepers who drive their own sales.

We recognize that the implications of this strategic shift are significant and will affect Shopkeepers who sell designs in the Marketplace in different ways. The purpose of this email is to inform you of changes, and to help you understand how this will improve the overall retail customer experience at CafePress and help us ensure continued growth.

After quickly glancing at your shop history, we anticipate that these changes have very little impact on your business. As always, we thank you for your support, and hope you continue enjoying your experiences at CafePress.

We've posted complete details and a list of FAQs of these changes.

On June 1, 2009 the current Shopkeeper Agreement, Shop Services, and Pricing Policy will change to reflect the new changes to the CafePress Marketplace. The major changes are to the Shop Services and Pricing Policy. You can review the new Seller Services (currently Shop Services) and Shop Pricing Policy (currently Pricing Policy).

If you have questions, please email us at marketplacequestions@cafepress.com. Depending on the questions, we'll either answer them directly or publicly at the Shopkeepers News & Announcements page.


Sincerely,
CafePress

[Sam A. Robrin]

Everybody's getting panicky regarding the coming Inevitability.  I'm seeing similar confusions in my own workplace.  And notice the increasing frequency and hysteria of advertising lately.  I'm not saying that you have nothing to worry about--just that isn't specific to your own situation.  (Hm.  I started out trying to make you feel better, and now I've scared myself . . .)