eBay Delivers Seamless Selling & Buying Experiences
By Hannah Ash, contributing writer
eBay Automates & Innovates To Break Down Barriers, Stay Ahead Of Competition
eBay, the Internet’s most popular consumer-to-consumer platform, has e-commerce down pat. As brick-and-mortar stores race to become true omni-channel sales platforms, eBay is keeping up by expanding its reach. For eBay, moving toward being a platform for omni-channel sales is a natural progression: the auction site’s roots in consumer innovation go back to its partnership with, and then acquisition of, e-commerce platform PayPal. With a strong online channel in hand, eBay is finding a way to make itself more relevant through improving its systems.
As international competitors, such as Alibaba Group Holding, LTD., move into eBay’s international markets, the leading online auction platform innovates to stay ahead. eBay has identified that a key way to break down barriers and get an edge in the market is through streamlining product shipments. With an eye toward creating fluid sales, eBay has already integrated shipping with UPS, USPS, and FedEx: franchise courier service Pack & Send will soon be offering an integrated solution for eBay sellers as it strengthens its own omni-channel presence. Pack & Send CEO Michael Paul comments, “It will enable eBay power centres, which are people that send up to 50 parcels a week, to have a very convenient system where it integrates with the eBay website and pulls data from there so they can arrange the consignment to be sent with just a couple of clicks.” In another move that will create a more seamless selling and buying experience, eBay announced on April 3rd that it will be opening a new fulfillment center in Canada. eBay’s fulfillment centers, of which it now boasts 8, function in a similar fashion to Amazon’s fulfillment centers by making the selling process streamlined and automated.
John Lin, vice president of eBay, comments, “Omni-channel commerce, which guarantees online browsing, seamless logistics, and multiple screens for purchase will enable consumers to shop anywhere at any time.” eBay’s approach to automating sales and reducing related hassles is paying off. "Overseas warehouses have enabled retailers in China to ship locally, accelerate sales and increase their click-thru rates," says Shanghai-based eBay merchant Li Lie. In response to recent Alibaba plans to take some of eBay’s market share, Lin “welcomes more competitors, but eBay will leverage its global presence to better satisfy consumers' needs.”