[Interview] Wish tailors its approach in Europe by introducing exciting new products and features, enabling European seller success

1/ Hi Alan - can you introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Alan Small and I’m Wish’s Business Development Manager in Europe. I’m based in London and am currently focused on expanding Wish’s merchant base in the UK and EU.

2/ Tell us a little about Wish: which features make you stand out and which verticals do you operate in?

I’d say a key standout feature for Wish in Europe is our renewed commitment to European merchants. We received honest feedback that our initial approach was less than optimal. We took that feedback to heart and came up with a strategy to address our key challenges. Today, we offer a much-improved user experience and are actively promoting merchant success, including a focus on branded and higher-quality products. If you’re a European merchant, this is an excellent time to give Wish a try, because you’ll benefit from the following incentive programs:

A commission of just 5% for your first 3 months selling on the platform when you onboard through Lengow
Free boosting and promotion of your products
Your own dedicated account manager
Exclusive early access to other promotional opportunities

Wish’s most popular product verticals are similar to most e-commerce marketplaces and include electronics, fashion, home and garden, and baby/child.

3/ Why should a merchant choose Wish over other marketplaces?

Wish gives merchants instant access to over 100 million monthly active users across 100 countries. We’re mobile-first and are built around a unique algorithm that uses data to match customers with products they are most likely to purchase. We offer a suite of indispensable services for our merchants, including:

A team of digital marketing experts that can help amplify your reach and boost sales through our native advertising tool, ProductBoost.
To complement this, we also offer a range of marketing services including in-app promotions, social media campaigns, and digital advertising.
We provide our merchants with a comprehensive data intelligence tool via the Wish Merchant Dashboard. This insight helps our merchants assess and improve their overall performance - from impressions and sales through to product assortment and service quality. We offer a number of reliable, cross-border logistics solutions to suit every need.
Wish merchants can sell to over 100 countries using a single product listing. Unlike other platforms, you don’t have to create a new account for every country or region where you’d like to sell. We can even help with automated language translations.

4/ Wish is a US company. What are your development plans in Europe?

Right now, there’s a very exciting and unique “greenfield” opportunity for European merchants on our platform. As I mentioned, we’re dedicated to supporting European merchants and tailoring the experience to meet their needs. We’ve invested in Account Managers in the UK, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy - throughout Europe. European merchants who start selling on Wish will immediately see very little local competition, while simultaneously receiving access to a huge global audience. If you’re looking to expand your business, Wish is the place to be. You won’t see this type of opportunity on any other eCommerce platform right now.

5/ How can merchants offer a quality shopping experience in the current context?

The best way to maximize sales on Wish is to onboard strategically and build from there. To help, we’re offering personalized onboarding for all Lengow merchants, as well as ongoing growth support from a dedicated Account Manager. Bring your catalog of products - we’ll assist with the tools and process.

6/ What three tips would you give brands and retailers so that they can succeed on Wish?

1/ Our data shows that when merchants add their full product catalog immediately after signing up for Wish, it creates the best momentum for success. I also recommend focusing on these details:

- Ensure that product images are clean and highlight variations; add clear, detailed written descriptions.
- If possible, add MSRPs to highlight the value of your products.
- If you sell branded products, apply to become an Authentic Brand Seller, and tag your items with their associated brands.

2/ Take advantage of Wish’s discounting and impression-boosting features, which are designed to facilitate merchant success. In particular, I recommend Price Drop, ProductBoost, and CollectionBoost. Your Wish Account Manager will be able to help you enable these and other features. 3/ Focus on setting up your Logistics, so that they’re as accurate and efficient as possible. Merchants with rapid shipping and valid tracking information receive more sales, more impressions, and more exposure on Wish. It’s ideal to enable Wish Express, meaning your products will be highlighted with an orange truck icon, as well as your country flag. In this way, users will know they can receive products quickly, and from a local source. Wish is currently offering 5% cashback to merchants on all qualified Wish Express orders until the end of 2020. Wish has come a long way from when it started in 2010. It truly is an exciting time to join one of the largest and fastest-growing e-commerce businesses in the world.

Want to start selling on Wish? Get in touch with the Lengow team!

Naomi Botting