About Semenstore
SEMENSTORE.CO.UK – A QUESTION & ANSWER
The one-stop semen shop for vendors and buyers
Your easy to follow Q&A
Introduction:
Semenstore Ltd launched the e-commerce semen website, semenstore.co.uk, in February 2009. Initially offering Limousin semen, British Blue bulls joined the site from January 2010. We also have access to semen from other beef breeds including Charolais, Salers, Blonde D'Aquitaine - please telephone for more details.
The semenstore.co.uk website’s principal aim is to provide a comprehensive “one-stop-semen-shop” to market, sell and purchase semen on-line in an easy and professional manner. Its continuing and ongoing aim is to provide members and customers with high level professional services that bring new approaches, efficiencies, easy to use solutions, and overall added value.
The following question and answer briefing has been compiled to provide an outline and the key information to how semenstore.co.uk will work in practice.
What are semenstore.co.uk’s objectives?
As outlined, semenstore.co.uk will be a comprehensive “one-stop-semen-shop” fully automated and aimed at ‘making it easy’ for you to market, sell, locate and buy bull semen.
How will it benefit vendors?
If you are selling semen, semenstore.co.uk will market your bulls in a professional, co-ordinated and efficient manner. Most importantly, it will collect all monies due, credit your account on a monthly basis accordingly, and look after all aspects of storage, delivery and stock maintenance on your behalf. Taking out the admin and work involved in semen selling will be a big benefit for sellers.
The provision of a new and professional on-line semen service will improve semen marketing and branding, leading to a wider dissemination of Limousin and British Blue genetics. The market for this business is open to a new e-commerce approach that is imaginative and partnership based. Semenstore.co.uk will also provide a focussed and unrestricted entry of bulls and will be dedicated to providing a service that is innovative and progressive.
How will it benefit buyers?
Informative and easy to use, semenstore.co.uk will enable prospective purchasers in the UK, and abroad, to browse, consider, find and purchase the semen of their choice there and then online. All handling and delivery costs will be included in the final price and thereafter, delivery will be made to your designated delivery address.
Semenstore.co.uk will be an easy-to-find, easy-to-use site for buyers searching on the web for Limousin and British Blue semen. A unique feature of the website is the ability for purchasers to buy both Limousin and British Blue semen in one single, easy transaction. Buyers can, of course, buy just Limousin or just Blue semen if they wish.
Will semenstore.co.uk be competitive in its costs?
This is a principal aim. In addition to the benefits above, semenstore.co.uk aims through a partnership approach to provide competitive terms and prices. Through administering a portfolio of semen on behalf of a Limousin & British Blue customer base, and by automating processes to semen companies, semenstore.co.uk aims to negotiate competitive semen storage, delivery and handling costs for buyers and sellers.
Who can enter semen to the semenstore.co.uk?
Owners of semen from a bull within a recognized Limousin or British Blue herdbook would be eligible to enter semen. Vendors could be members of the respective Breed Society, commercial owners, semen companies or non UK owners for example.
Please note that in order to qualify, all semen must be currently stored in a licenced facility. Semen which is stored in an on-farm flask is not eligible.
Who can buy semen?
It is open to all and by definition it is world wide web based. Semen can be purchased and delivered, through automation, to any postal address in the UK.
The shopping cart will recognise, through the post code, potential non-UK purchasers. An easy-to-use export enquiry form will be generated at that point to allow an enquiry to be made. Thereafter semenstore.co.uk will be able to provide and forward a response on cost, delivery and eligibility.
What fees will be involved?
A schedule of fees has been produced outlining all costs and will be circulated to anyone requesting an application form to enter semen or requesting more information. In outline, an annual fee will be charged for entering semen, per bull, on to the site. There are different entry options available, determined by levels of text, information, pictures and searches that you may choose. Each option will have an entry fee attached accordingly.
For semenstore.co.uk’s work involved in marketing the semen, collecting monies, and carrying out all administration of the semen selling as described, a commission will be taken from each vendor’s sale. Storage costs will be paid for by Semenstore collectively and charged out to vendors on a monthly basis. Please also see ‘Where will semen be stored?’
Where will semen be stored?
For practicality and to allow semenstore.co.uk to be competitive and cost effective, all semen entered will be stored at one ‘central hub’. Very much in keeping with a partnership based approach, semenstore.co.uk has an agreement in place with one of the UK’s foremost semen companies, Cogent, to act as the ‘hub’ and to store all semenstore.co.uk semen. This means that upon entering semen to the store, provision would be made where necessary to move the required amount to the ‘central hub’. Semenstore.co.uk is delighted to be working with such an experienced and professional company as Cogent are in this field.
All semen will be stored at their ‘central hub’ on the UK Mainland from where subsequent distribution will be carried out. As necessary, the quantity of straws that you specify for semenstore.co.uk use will be transferred there automatically. Any cost incurred by the initial or subsequent movement of semen to semenstore.co.uk will be met by the vendor. If the semen is already stored at Cogent then there will be no charge for putting some or all of the semen onto semenstore.co.uk . You will, however, need to specify the quantity you are putting forward onto semenstore.co.uk
It is very much our hope that Cogent will also benefit through the provision of an on-line semen shopping system; semen orders being delivered in a timely and collective manner from a single source; and semen distribution fees being collected.
I like semenstore.co.uk, how do I enter semen?
It is very straight forward. If you have semen for sale that you would like to enter, please contact Semenstore Ltd for a semenstore.co.uk entry form, and further information. Comprehensive, the entry form will ask for all the relevant information including collection details and dates, current storage details, AI Code, marketing text and pics etc. The entry form will also contain the necessary terms and conditions to be agreed. Thereafter the movement of semen, where necessary, will be conducted, details of the semen and all info will be uploaded onto the site, and trading can commence.
Semen will be able to be entered at any time of the year and annual charges will be applied from the date of entry. Please note also the ‘How To Sell’ section on the Semenstore website.
Setting up a Direct Debit with semenstore.co.uk?
All vendors will need to complete a new Direct Debit mandate for semenstore.co.uk. However, you will only need to complete one Direct Debit regardless of how many bulls you enter onto semenstore.co.uk now or in the future. The direct debit method allows seamless crediting and debiting of accounts to be conducted automatically on a monthly basis. Vendors will receive a statement approximately two weeks in advance of the direct debit or credit being applied to allow for any queries to be dealt with in a timely fashion.
Will there be exclusivity on entries?
It is possible, and acceptable, that a bull may have more than one entry on the semenstore.co.uk website. This may be because the individual owner has different batches collected at different times/places and therefore with different eligibility criteria. Or it may be because there is more than one vendor of a particular bull’s semen.
What search features for semen and info will the site have?
A unique feature of semenstore.co.uk will be the ability to search easily for the semen that most fits your requirement according to many varied criteria.
Easy to navigate, searches will be available on name; performance figures; price; pedigree and visual appeal. An advanced search facility will allow you to build a profile on a combination of these criteria. The following are just some of the searches that will be immediately available within semenstore.co.uk.
By Price; Best sellers; New Arrivals; Proven Sires; Royalty Sires; Special Offers; Company Bulls; Polled; Black; F94L Tested; Classifieds
You can also search bulls for the following traits or combination of traits:
Easy Calving; Gestation Length; Muscle; Milk; Growth; Beef Value etc
If you wish to search by trait then bulls will be displayed according to their performance figures (Estimated Breeding Values or EBVs). For ease of use, bulls will be ranked as follows: Top 1%; Top 10%, Top 25% and Average & Above. Bulls with below average EBVs for a particular trait will NOT be displayed in that given trait.
If you already know which bull you are interested in, you can simply look the bull up in the A-Z index.
What other features will be available?
When you look up a particular bull it will be possible by a button to click on that animal’s up-to-date performance figures in entirety. These figures will be updated automatically following each BLUP run. Also you will be able to drill down an animal’s back pedigree by as many generations as you wish through an interface with the BASCO and ABRI databases. Vendors entering semen will also have the choice of putting progeny pics on their entries or supplying video footage of the given animal that will be playable on the site.
The aim is to have the site as informative, user-friendly and as modern as possible. New features will be applied where and when possible to keep the site fresh.
Easy to navigate the site will have a news section, links pages, information and hover boxes where required to explain the different features.
Will it be easy to order online?
Yes, it is an easy-to-use shopping cart. Simply browse and purchase the semen of your choice. You can purchase semen from as many bulls as you wish as long as you buy a minimum of 5 straws in total with a minimum order value of £50. Once you have made your selection/s, simply proceed to checkout.
What happens after I order?
Once your order has been accepted, semenstore.co.uk. will automatically generate a confirmation number. An invoice will be sent to you electronically thereafter. Semen will be sent from the central storage “hub” within ten or sixteen days depending on when the order is made and where it is being delivered to. We can deliver to England, Scotland (including Highlands & Islands) & Wales. Deliveries to NI are dependant on semen being stored in NI itself and whether the semen is qualified for NI. We can also deliver to IOM.
Will I be able to buy semen from other breeds?
Built upon a strong Limousin and British Blue base, it is hoped and anticipated that other beeds or species can be incorporated in the future if there is demand and interest.
In summary
Semenstore.co.uk is a big step forward for the dissemination of cattle genetics at home and abroad with the principal aim to provide a practical, professional and efficient means to market, sell and buy semen on-line. The site itself is innovative in design, informative, easy to navigate and easy to use. In delivering the semenstore.co.uk every effort has been made to build it on a solid business platform with secure partnerships. Your support will encourage its success and development.