TradeMe kicked off in 1999, thanks to Kiwi entrepreneur Sam Morgan. It hit a massive milestone in 2006—sold to Fairfax Media for $700 million. I’ve been on there nearly 20 years, watching it grow. For iPOP, it’s been a key player. The site’s dead easy to use—list products fast, no hassle. Pretty much every adult in New Zealand’s bought or sold something on it.
Back in the day, fees were fair. Good bang for your buck. Now? They’ve shot up. In our category, a sale costs 9.9% plus 1.95% for Ping, or 4.95% with Afterpay. Then there’s a $0.10 listing fee per item. Doesn’t sound like much, but with 500 listings over seven days, that’s $200 a month. It adds up quick.
Lately, foreign businesses have flooded in. That wasn’t a thing before. Even the TradeMe logo’s dropped “Where Kiwis Buy and Sell.” Now you’ve got UK t-shirts and Chinese bath taps all over the place. Competition’s fierce. It’s tough to tell who’s local and who’s not. Apart from slower shipping from overseas, there’s no real perk to picking Kiwi businesses. That’s a problem.
I’ve got ideas to fix it. Give Kiwi businesses a boost in search rankings. Slap a clear Kiwi icon on local listings. It’d make them stand out, so people can spot and back New Zealand-owned stuff easier. Simple moves like that would show TradeMe’s serious about the local economy. Customers could choose Kiwi over foreign without the guesswork. Plus, it’d give our business community a bit of pride.
We’d love you to shop straight from our website instead. It’s more personal—email updates, tracking info, the lot. Keeps you in the loop.
Our site’s handy and cheaper too. You get more options—polarised sunglasses and blue light glasses, the full range.
We’re all about giving you a solid experience, whether it’s through TradeMe or direct. Your support means heaps to us, however you buy.

See all our Trademe listings under iPOP-Eyewear.