eBay Unveils New Ways to Help Sellers Source and Sell Online
Thursday June 23, 11:00 am ET
biz.yahoo.com
ProStores Web Store Solution Complements eBay Stores, Extends Sellers' Market Reach
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 23, 2005--eBay, the World's Online Marketplace® (Nasdaq:EBAY), today kicks off its annual community conference, eBay Live!, by unveiling a number of new services and benefits for members, including a Web storefront solution and a new wholesale product marketplace.
Launching today, eBay's new ProStores service allows eBay sellers and other small- to medium-sized businesses to create a customized e-commerce storefront, independent of the eBay marketplace. ProStores makes it simple and affordable to create a Web store -- customized with its own branding, categories and unique Internet address. And for the thousands of eBay sellers who already use an eBay Store, ProStores integrates with their existing store, allowing them to manage listings and inventory for both stores and accept PayPal for payments.
"eBay sellers are looking to maximize their sales online, and many are interested in doing so through more than one channel," said Bill Cobb, president of eBay North America. "Listening to the eBay community, we believe there's a clear role we can play in helping them scale their businesses. ProStores can be customized to meet sellers' specific needs, and to keep pace with changing requirements as their businesses grow. It's the perfect complement to selling on eBay."
ProStores offers four tiers of e-commerce packages, starting at just $6.95 per month with fees ranging from 0.5% to 1.5% per successful transaction. Each tier enables merchants to set up a complete Web store including shopping carts with secure checkout and shipping integration with major shippers. Larger enterprises will benefit from integrated supply-chain inventory management and advanced merchandising options.
New ProStores subscribers will receive a one-month free trial, and those who sign up by October 3, 2005 will not incur successful transaction fees until January 1, 2006. eBay Stores sellers also receive a 30 percent discount on ProStores subscription fees.
ProStores is the result of eBay's acquisition earlier this year of Kurant Corporation's technology assets, including its award-winning e-commerce software.
Reseller Marketplace
As another way to create new opportunities for its sellers, eBay today launched the Reseller Marketplace, a private online marketplace for eBay PowerSellers to purchase liquidated and refurbished inventory and excess inventory in lot sizes directly from manufacturers and distributors. PowerSellers are eBay top sellers who sustain a consistent high volume of monthly sales and a high level of total Feedback -- with a 98% or better positive rating by other eBay users.
For eBay PowerSellers, the Reseller Marketplace provides access to discounted inventory from manufacturers, liquidators and wholesalers, without having to maintain ongoing relationships with each individual supplier. Items on the Reseller Marketplace are listed in lot sizes suitable for small and medium-sized businesses. Any eBay PowerSeller may register to use the Reseller Marketplace and access listings at no extra cost.
For manufacturers and liquidators, the Reseller Marketplace represents a new sales channel, allowing them to tap into the world's most dynamic marketplace through eBay's PowerSellers.
"We listen to the eBay community for ideas on how we can help improve their success and make it easier for them to buy and sell," said Michael Dearing, eBay senior vice president and general merchandise manager. "The Reseller Marketplace meets the needs of eBay sellers who need reliable sources of quality product to keep growing."
More information on the Reseller Marketplace is available at www.ebay.com/reseller. To learn more about ProStores, visit www.prostores.com. |
