Opportunities to build browser extensions for resellers
Manifest is a weekly newsletter that explores opportunities around building successful chrome extension businesses. You can subscribe to Manifest here.
Source: Vendoo
Resellers are people who buys products from a manufacturer or a wholesaler with the intention of selling them onto consumers for a higher price. Resellers are active on platforms such as:
Building chrome extensions that help these resellers make more sales can be a great way to build a SaaS business.
Some extensions that have been built for resellers include:
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Closet Tools - an automation tool for Poshmark that does approx. $40,000 per month in revenue
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Sales Bot - an automation tool for Depop and Vinted with over 6,000 users
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ListingJoy - a crosslisting tool that allows resellers to post their items to multiple platforms at once
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Poshmark Sharing Tool - another (you guessed it!) Poshmark automation tool that does approx. $32,000 per month in revenue
A common characteristic of the above extensions is that they save resellers time by automating time-consuming tasks. Most platforms used by resellers have some features that encourage users to spend more time on their site and engage with others users.
For example, if you follow more people on Depop, it can help you sell more items (as some will follow you back in return and see your items). It's pretty mundane to spend hours clicking"follow" on a bunch of profiles. Sales Bot automates this task for resellers and, as a result, saves them time and makes them more money - one of the reasons they can charge over $100 per month!
Opportunities
Cross-platform arbitrage: Similar, or even identical items can often sell at different prices on different platforms. Build a chrome extension that automatically searches for an item on other platforms and help resellers make an easy profit.
Photo editor: Having high quality photos is easily the most important part of selling items on any marketplace. Certain resellers also like to have a "theme" for the items on their profile (EG a common colour in the background for each item), as it makes them more memorable. Build a chrome extension that applies a certain background for all the items on a resellers profile. PhotoRoom are doing this for Depop.
AI item description writer: An effective item description is another key factor in making sales for resellers. CopyAI uses GPT-3 to create copy for product descriptions... but also for digital ad copy, social media content and blogs. Unbundle it and built an extension aimed specifically at one of the platforms listed above.
Risk vs. Reward
Several of the extensions mentioned above use undocumented APIs. This undoubtedly increases platform risk, but it also means less competition.
There are already multiple Depop and Poshmark automation tools out there. But these are not “winner takes all” markets. Build an extension that’s differentiated on pricing, UX or distribution.
Reseller platforms don’t have their own specific app stores. This make distribution harder. It also provides an opportunity for savvy marketers to build a competitive advantage.
Chrome Extensions For Sale
Don't want to spend time building your own chrome extension? You can always buy one instead. Here are some recent extension businesses for sale on MicroAcquire:
Super interesting article! It’s really cool how the author showed the possibilities for creating browser extensions for resellers. Indeed, many people spend hours on routine tasks when reselling goods, and there is a huge space for innovation here. I especially liked the idea of automating processes, for example, such as cross-listing or using AI tools - imagine, you can even use AI to remove background on product photos and speed up the creation of attractive ads.
The only thing to keep in mind is that reseller platforms often change their APIs, so you need to be ready to regularly adapt the product. But if you develop UX, marketing and understand user needs, you can really create something that people will pay for.
Love this post. I do total agree that reseller market is an audience that is usually willing to pay. The numbers and prices seeing coming out of it are very encouraging.
Was wondering though, do you think it is becoming a bit crowded?