Sarah is the eCommerce Manager in our Retail & Trading Team. She leads a team of five staff members and 28 volunteers, looking after our online selling platforms. She has been with the organisation for almost nine years, initially joining as a shop manager before moving into the eCommerce team three years ago. Talking about her current role, Sarah says:
I’m responsible for overseeing online sales from our warehouse in Berkhamsted. I’m in constant communication with the staff in our High Street shops, coaching them on current trends and managing the items they send to be sold online. I’m always monitoring our live listings and make sure I respond to any buyers’ queries. I love the team and am really passionate about what we are doing.
I’m so proud of the growth of our online operation. Before I came into the role, it was relatively small, with the team packing around 40 items a week. Now, they’re packing and sending over 200 items per week and 7% of our Retail and Trading Income comes from e-Commerce. The expansion of our online selling operation has definitely been fuelled by the change in shopping habits with more people opting to shop online, and the growing understanding of the fantastic range of fashion, collectibles and so much more that can be found on online second-hand platforms.
The items that come through to be sold on eBay are brilliant and it's such a buzz to see us all sell an item for a great price, making more money for the charity to go towards patient care. We recently sold a pack of 100-year-old Tarot cards to an Australian collector for almost £2,000!
We wouldn’t be able to do any of this without our fantastic volunteers. We have listers who research and take photos of the items for sale, specialists who lend their expertise in music, musical instruments and antiques to value items, and packers who finish the process and ensure items get to their new homes in great condition. The volunteers really are the heart of the team.
"We get a lot of donations of books into the shops and if a shop item team thinks they've got something that could collect a little more money on eBay, they send it into the warehouse for listing. I do a basic valuation and check to see if there's anything like a signature or first edition cover that will increase its value. I then write a description and list the books on eBay to make sure we sell them at the best possible price for the charity."
You can shop with us on Vinted and Facebook Marketplace, but eBay is the heart of our e-Commerce outfit and is a treasure trove of brilliant finds. We add new items every week, so do visit our store – you may be surprised by what you find!
