Jake’s Dog House, which sells treats, collars, and toys for dogs as well as accessories for dog lovers, began in 1995 as the brainchild of Jon and Jeane Stein. They started with a single cart in a shopping mall and a mail order catalog. In 1996 the business expanded to include the Web with the creation of their web site (http://www.jakesdoghouse.com). Jon, the CEO, considers the online business to be the “sixth store in the chain” and also believes that this is an area with “significant and exponential growth potential.” The company motto over the years has been “Great Stores, Great Products, and Great People,” and Jon points out that “it is mission critical for the e-commerce business to carry the same solid branding and upscale image as the stores.”
Jake’s Dog House went on eBay in the summer of 2003. Jon says, “We just woke up one day and decided that we would list a few items.” Initially, Stein was skeptical, but the sales on eBay exceeded his expectations. The company quickly scaled up their listings to several hundred per week. Within three months, Jake’s Dog House (User ID: jakesdoghouse) had become a PowerSeller on eBay.
When it comes to starting out, Stein advises that sellers “understand what it is that they are selling. If you sell dog accessories, you should be passionate about dogs, you should sell something you really know and love.” But Stein’s focus is and always has been the desire to grow his business exponentially. Only a year or so after starting out on eBay, he began looking for the “perfect e-commerce software solution.”
Jake’s Dog House went on eBay in the summer of 2003. Jon says, “We just woke up one day and decided that we would list a few items.” Initially, Stein was skeptical, but the sales on eBay exceeded his expectations. The company quickly scaled up their listings to several hundred per week. Within three months, Jake’s Dog House (User ID: jakesdoghouse) had become a PowerSeller on eBay.
When it comes to starting out, Stein advises that sellers “understand what it is that they are selling. If you sell dog accessories, you should be passionate about dogs, you should sell something you really know and love.” But Stein’s focus is and always has been the desire to grow his business exponentially. Only a year or so after starting out on eBay, he began looking for the “perfect e-commerce software solution.”
