eBay Opens Up A World Of Opportunity

By Bob Johns

August 2013 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

The $14 billion online retailer has made a major push to expand into global markets for its buyers and sellers by making the entire process seamless for both.

Many U.S. retailers are looking globally to expand their brands and capture new markets. With traditional retailers, this usually means opening brick-andmortar stores and starting countryspecific e-commerce sites. eBay, however, is taking a less traditional route by expanding its current offering and core value — connecting buyers to sellers and making their transactions as easy as possible — internationally through the Global Shipping Program. What started last year as a small pilot has now grown to include 36 countries around the world, with plans to rapidly expand in the near future.

eBay has never been what you would consider a traditional retailer, online retailer, or even auction site. It’s become a multifaceted company that deals with everything from payments (PayPal), to e-commerce (Magento), to fulfillment (eBay Enterprise). The company’s bread and butter continues to be its own site, where it facilitates consumer-to-consumer and retailer-to-consumer commerce. The company has enjoyed incredible growth, generating more than $14 billion in revenue last year alone.