Tophatter 2019 Merchant Kick-Off

Happy 2019! At Tophatter, we always say we have two customers: our Shoppers and our Merchants. Through continued partnership with our Merchants, we can improve the selling experience and build our businesses together. As the new year ramps up, we wanted to take a moment to look back at last year and give you a preview into what we’re focusing on for 2019.

A look back at 2018

2018 was a year of conscious development for Tophatter. We focused on building meaningful tools to help Merchants enhance their performance. We tested and planned for expansion into international markets, and we improved our logistics to offer Merchants more options to capture those international sales. We structured our Seller Standards and policies to improve our education and training for Merchants. Improving logistics and supporting quality products, along with a diversified and improved app experience, led to greater satisfaction for our shoppers too.

Selling on Tophatter in 2019

We are hitting the ground running in 2019, prepped for a year of growth and excited to partner with our Merchants for our mutual success. This year, we have big plans for both our Shoppers and Merchants alike:

• Doubling down on low commissions and Scheduling Fee Bidding: In late 2018, we lowered our commissions to 10% and introduced our Scheduling Fee Bidding tool. This new tool gives Merchants more control into which products are scheduled and how much volume they see. In 2019, we will continue building tools to make Scheduling Fee Bidding easier to optimize and will keep the low commissions that come with it.
• Continue to drive higher margins for Merchants: This is a huge focus for every part of the Tophatter business this year. With help from quality supply, we can work together with our Merchants to ensure healthy margins.
• Predictability around our account and payout cycle reviews: In 2018, we introduced Seller Standards and expectations around performance. This year, we will continue to make those expectations clearer with regular account reviews. This includes more predictability around when payout cycles may change based on performance.
• Growth of product diversity: Our proven high-performing products will not go anywhere, but in 2019 more product diversity is an important focus. Our Scheduling Fee Bidding system offers Merchants low risk ways to quickly test new products and see how they perform.
• More data and Merchant tools: In Q4, we launched a number of new tools and features for Merchants, while also simplifying the Seller Dashboard. This year, we will continue this momentum, providing Merchants more tools to monitor and lift performance.
• International expansion: More customers equal more sales; it’s as simple as that. After thoughtful planning in 2018, our international efforts will only get bigger this year. Increasing our international presence and customer base is a big investment for Tophatter. For Merchants, a focus on free shipping will drive volume to these international markets.

Let’s grow together in 2019! For our current Merchants, we can’t wait to work with you to continue building something great. If you are not currently selling on Tophatter, you can apply to sell here. For more information, watch our 2019 Kick-Off webinar here.