In the realm of government e-commerce and surplus disposition, two distinct companies stand out: GovDeals and Glass Commerce. While both cater to the needs of government agencies, their approaches and focuses diverge significantly, offering unique solutions tailored to different facets of governmental operations.

GovDeals, a comprehensive and sustainable solution, has carved its niche as the go-to platform exclusively designed for government agencies to manage surplus assets efficiently. On the other hand, Glass Commerce emerges as a pioneer government e-commerce platform primarily catering to small-scale purchases within governmental agencies.

As we delve deeper into the essence of these platforms, it becomes evident that each brings a distinct set of features, benefits, and target audiences to the table. In this blog, we dissect the nuances of GovDeals and Glass Commerce, exploring their respective strengths, functionalities, and impacts on government procurement processes. 

What is GovDeals about?

GovDeals is an online marketplace that connects government agencies with buyers interested in surplus assets. Launched in 1999, GovDeals has transformed the way governments dispose of surplus property, streamlining processes, increasing transparency, and maximizing returns on taxpayer investments.

Founded in Montgomery, Alabama, GovDeals began as a solution to the cumbersome and inefficient traditional methods of surplus asset disposal. Recognizing the need for a more streamlined approach, the founders conceptualized an online auction platform tailored specifically for government surplus management. Since its inception, GovDeals has grown exponentially, facilitating millions of transactions across various government sectors.

GovDeals’ mission is to provide government agencies with a simple, efficient, and cost-effective platform to sell surplus assets while offering buyers access to a diverse range of high-quality items at competitive prices. It offers a user-friendly platform equipped with robust features designed to meet the unique needs of both sellers and buyers. Government agencies can easily list surplus assets, including vehicles, equipment, furniture, and more, while buyers gain access to a vast inventory through an intuitive bidding and purchasing process.

Its key benefits are: 1) Transparency, as GovDeals provides detailed descriptions, photographs, and condition reports for listed items, enabling informed purchasing decisions; 2) Cost savings,  as it eliminates the need for traditional auction houses and middlemen, helping government agencies save money on surplus asset disposal, while buyers enjoy competitive prices; and 3) Environmental sustainability, considering that through the resale of surplus assets, GovDeals is extending the lifecycle of goods and reducing waste.

Among its case studies are:

• The Madison County School District in Mississippi oversees nearly 15,000 students, faculty, and staff spread across 23 educational facilities. Equipping its members with technology devices for interactive learning is a priority, necessitating an annual cycle of collection, inventorying, and recycling of these supplies. Recognizing the limitations of their current surplus process the district selected to transition to GovDeals. In 2023, the district chose to bundle 4,900+ Apple MacBooks for sale to the public. The sale attracted considerable attention and was sold to Elta Electronics, based in Wellington, Florida, after receiving 49 bids, for an impressive sum of $1.27 million.
• The State of Colorado regularly encounters the formidable challenge of selling a significant number of vehicles and surplus items, along with equipment. Historically, they conducted traditional live auctions to handle this surplus inventory before transitioning to online sales, aiming for modernization and enhanced efficiency. Seeking a more impactful solution, in September 2020, the State of Colorado opted to collaborate with GovDeals. Thanks to the expanded reach to a broader audience, the State witnessed a remarkable 33% surge in profits from vehicle sales during their inaugural year with GovDeals.
• The State of Georgia enlisted the services of GovDeals, a marketplace provided by Liquidity Services, facilitating the sustainable and transparent sale of surplus assets for state and local governments. Their task was to list a variety of distinctive trees online, spanning from Southern Magnolias to Common Crape Myrtle. These trees were categorized into seven lots based on species, with specific instructions requiring the winning bidder to possess the necessary equipment for extraction, backfilling of all holes, and transportation of the trees from the premises. This auction was promoted to a substantial audience of registered buyers through the GovDeals marketplace.

The truth is that GovDeals impacted governments transactions by revolutionizing surplus asset management for agencies of all sizes, from local municipalities to federal institutions. GovDeals empowers government entities to allocate resources more effectively, benefiting taxpayers and communities alike by facilitating efficient asset disposal and generating revenue from surplus items.

Why is Glass Commerce?

Glass is a Silicon Valley e-commerce startup that is simplifying government transactions, starting with small purchases, by revolutionizing how governments buy, helping Local, State and Federal agencies make inclusive, sustainable, and compliant purchases. 

Its founder and CEO, Paola Santana, developed Glass Commerce, a pioneering e-commerce solution built to streamline daily government purchases and help buyers access an increased range of high-quality products and services, from pre-verified vendors, with a couple of clicks. 

Glass Commerce enables government buyers to acquire goods, services, software and rentals from verified Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and local, diverse vendors. It provides small and diverse businesses with the digital infrastructure required to showcase their products and services online, accept government orders, process government payments, and access relevant data insights, logistics and delivery options, so they can tap into the $800 billion dollars industry that government small purchases represent in the United States. 

Some of its key benefits include: 1) Enhanced user experience, as its modern interfaces offer government buyers access to an Intelligent Search Bar and single-screen product and price comparison across common government-wide spend categories, ensuring streamlined navigation and informed decision-making; 2)  Tailored sorting options, which means relevant Sorting features optimize for mandatory sources, on-demand local delivery around buyers' zip codes, best price, vendors’ past performance, and other agency goals, providing personalized procurement solutions 3) Expedited vendor verification; 4) Secure checkout process, with Government Purchase Cards (GPCs) and other agency-approved methods ; and 5) Comprehensive tracking through visual dashboards that offer spending, tracking, flagging, and return information at a glance, empowering buyers with real-time insights into their purchases and expenditures.

One of GLASS’ key differentiators consists in its rapid implementation, tracking and reporting of relevant socio-economic policies, by seamlessly connecting small government purchases with over 32 Million small businesses, the backbone of the U.S. economy. Glass Commerce offers hundreds of thousands of verified products from fully-verified and vetted SMEs, including: SB8(a), Women-Owned, Veteran-Owned, Minority-Owned, Black-Owned, HUBZONE Certified, Disadvantaged, and other groups. 

GLASS is empowering these SMEs with their first government online stores, allowing them to register, get verified, upload and update their catalogs in one single platform, and providing secure payment processing, efficient delivery options, and multi-channel customer support including Live Chat, Help Desk, email, and hotline. Consequently, through its technology, they are able to aggregate local demand from government buyers, and to coordinate cooperative selling on behalf of vendors, at scale.

GovDeals vs. Glass Commerce

While there are several differences between both platforms, we consider it important to highlight two of them that relate to: 1) focus & purpose, and 2) functionality & features.

1. Focus and Purpose: 
While GovDeals primarily focuses on connecting government agencies with buyers interested in purchasing surplus assets,  Glass Commerce aims to simplify government small purchases by helping government agencies make inclusive, sustainable, and compliant purchases from verified small, local, and diverse businesses. 

For example, if a government agency has equipment, vehicles, furniture, or other assets that they no longer need, they can use GovDeals to sell those items to buyers interested nationwide. On the contrary, government agencies can utilize Glass Commerce for their small purchases, thereby supporting the local economy, as this government e-commerce platform is distinguished by its inclusion of small, diverse, and local businesses.

2. Functionality and Features:
On one hand, GovDeals provides a user-friendly platform for government agencies to list surplus assets, and for buyers to bid on and purchase these items through online auctions. On the other hand, Glass Commerce offers a pioneering government e-commerce platform with modern interfaces, intelligent search capabilities, tailored sorting options, secure checkout processes, and comprehensive tracking for government buyers to acquire goods, services, software, and rentals from verified small, diverse, and local businesses.

Overall, while GovDeals specializes in surplus government asset management, Glass Commerce offers a government e-commerce solution tailored specifically for government small purchases, a $800 billion dollars industry in the U.S.

This blog was written by Gisela Montes, GovTech Community Lead at Glass.