We need more incentives to encourage outsiders to use Steem to buy and sell merchandise. There is a lot of e-commerce competition like Amazon, so they has to be a way to grab people attention.
Perhaps Steempay could utilize a negotiation feature, where buyers could get discounts for paying in Steem. There should also be rewards for referring other members to a sale. You should focus on exclusive privileges, that buyers can't find anywhere else.
thanks for your great input! I think every step is very challenging in this project, but we will get there someday!