Working from home had been a rare event for many of us until recently. Working remotely was slowing gaining traction, but the norm had been to do work at work. The coronavirus pandemic has suddenly changed this for most office workers. As we adjust to this new way of living, we are faced with the task of creating new spaces in our homes for work.
Sales for desks on eBay.com had been fairly steady, but then tripled in late March. There are now over 57,000 new desk listings on eBay.com in the Home Office Desk category.
Highest ranking Home Office Desks on eBay.com
The highest 3 best-match ranked listings revealed the types of desks that most buyers appear to be searching for: a standard workstation, a small desk that can squeeze into any room, and a corner desk perfect for a home office or to accommodate a child or two who are schooling from home.
When we delve further into the top-ranked listings, we see there are desk features that serve a specific purpose: Space-Saving, Ergonomics and Health, and Dedicated Office. We look at the size of each segment, and compare the combined average weekly sales achieved from their top 50 listings.
Space-Saving
There are 1006 listings for small desks, which is the smallest of the three groups. The top 50 listings sell 125 units per week, achieving $4,504 per week at an average price of $36.03.
Folding desks are also a popular space-saving choice, but sellers are faced with more than twice the amount of competition. There are 2,622 listings for folding desks, with the top 50 listings selling 119 units per week. However, with a higher average price tag of $80 they are making higher weekly sales of $9,565.
Ergonomics & Health
Office ergonomics had a resurgence in the early 2010’s, grabbing our attention with treadmill desks and standing desks. Although there is only one single listing for a treadmill desk on eBay.com, there are 4,696 listings for standing desks, showing that they have stood the test of time. The top 50 listings for Standing Desks are achieving average weekly sales of 195 units at an average price of $99, delivering $19,305.
Adjustable desks are more popular with sellers, with the highest number of listings at 6,216 (and this excludes the adjustable standing desks). However, it appears to be less popular with buyers. The top 50 listings are selling much less than their Standing Desk counterparts, with 166 sales per week, at a cheaper $66.74 average price, making approx. 40% less at $11,079 per week.
Dedicated Office
Corner desks are popular in dedicated home offices and can also be shared with a child or two given school closures. Of the desk types discussed here, these are by far the most popular with buyers with the top 50 listings selling a combined 231 units per week. There are 5069 listings for corner desks, which puts them as the second most popular with sellers, behind adjustable desks. Given their size, they are the most expensive overall with the top 50 listings priced at $103 on average. Combine the highest price tag and the highest sales volume, and we get a desk that generates the highest average weekly revenue of $23,891.
Competition
The level of competition varies by product type, but overall there doesn’t appear to be a dominant seller. When we review the top 500 best-match listings in the Home Office Desk category, there are 227 sellers, and only 3 with around 20 listings each. In addition, most of the products are unbranded. There are no well-known brands with a strong presence.
Our review of desk types reveals that the most expensive one, the corner desk, is also the most popular. Although the listings likely present great value, it is heartening that buyers are not always choosing the cheapest option.
Distribution of listings and sales by price range.
The graph shows the distribution and sales of the top 1000 best match ranked listings in the Home Office Desk category across price ranges. As we can see, although there are many listings over $100, sales begin to fall dramatically. Listings over $100 are facing a high level of competition to win sales.
Key Takeaways
There is a lot of opportunity within this category, as:
The demand for desks will continue in the foreseeable future.
The popularity of desk types with buyers and sellers is not aligned, creating opportunity for the niche seller.
Buyers are driven to purchase more by the product features rather than by price.
Brand loyalty does not exist – anyone can compete.
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