As an old stockist of the Lip Service brand I am glad to see they are still going strong. They completely change their product lines 3 to 4 times a year and only produce around 30-50 of each size and colour. This creates a tremendous demand and almost panic from retailers and customers as when they are gone they ARE gone. They do have some styles that do crop up in slightly different forms each time but its a great model for a niche market. I know myself once the new styles are placed on the wholesale website, they are pre ordered to a manic level and most of the time sell out before the items are even ready to be released. One move they did make all of a sudden last year, is ban the sales on eBay. I was one of the first sellers to mass sell lip service on ebay.co.uk, when only 20 items were found in a brand search, prices were good but then the ‘ebay bomb’ effect started to come into play. Sellers were forcing the prices down in the mad rush for buyers, making the Lip Service Range a complete waste of time. I pulled out around 2 months before they lead the ban. Some sellers have crept back into action, but on the whole the ban is still in effect.
Most of my old suppliers have all sent letters around about eBay. eBay can reduce the overall value of a branded product. Notably Axford Corsetry, Vollers Corsets, Leg Avenue and Dreamgirl have all banned eBay in the last two years.
The rise of shopping comparison feeds has made a websites life easier and it is possible to drive just as much traffic as with eBay. I have concentrated more on the manufacturing side of things as unique products fetch a good price, and the manufacturer to consumer model is much more cost effective, and you won’t have silly sellers listing at below cost in a desperate attempt to win the market share!
