Starting 10 November, Internet users can count on a double buy-sell experience on eBay.it: "eBay Classico", the traditional section of Italy's first e-commerce website, where users can buy goods online in Italy and the rest of the world at auction or with fixed prices, and a new section, "eBay Annunci", a free space where users can post local ads.
Milan, 4 November 2009 - The online-shopping market is in constant evolution. While users are still motivated to search the Internet for articles with unbeatable prices or that are difficult to find in traditional stores, there is also a desire to buy and offer products and services at the local level with free ads that can be followed up with a meeting in person between the buyer and seller.
This is why eBay, in its constant effort to meet the needs of its users, has decided to double its offering with eBay Annunci, the new service available on eBay.it designed for those who want to post free local classifieds for goods and services.
How will eBay.it change with this new offer? eBay's traditional business will remain unchanged, but a new section will be added. The homepage will be completely redesigned, allowing users to choose between the two sections: eBay Classico, the traditional eBay site, where users can continue to buy and sell goods online at a fixed price and/or participate in online auctions from anywhere in Italy or the world, and eBay Annunci, the section of the website that offers free, local (same city or region) ads for products, services and jobs, where the transaction and payment are completed via direct contact between the buyer and seller. On a single platform, users will find great bargains, services, national and international online transactions as well as free local classifieds, and articles and job postings.
Some users will be able to see the new homepage and access eBay Annunci starting today, but it will take a few days for the new service to be available to everyone. Access to the entire Community is guaranteed by 10 November.
"eBay is the leader in e-commerce, thanks to two essential aspects: innovation and attention to users' needs. Our user needs were clearly evolving in Italy. Based on this, we have decided to also offer our free and simple classified experience on eBay.it. With this addition we now offer the full portfolio of all online buying and selling experiences on a single platform: fixed price and online auction as before, and now also classifieds. This allows for easier trading within your neighbourhood and city next to our existing offering across Italy and the world", says Wouter Haak, General Manager of eBay local Classifieds in Italy, France Belgium and Turkey. "Other European countries, such as Spain, France and have already launched the equivalent of eBay Annunci, and it has generated a high level of interest in just a few months, which shows that it is a beneficial service for those seeking an alternative to the traditional eBay experience."
eBay Annunci originated from experience gained with Kijiji within the eBay Classifieds Group. Together with eBay Classico, it will allow Italians to rely on a single platform that offers all types of buying and selling and provides simple access to a complete range of goods and services. The success of Kijiji is an excellent starting point for eBay Annunci.
The following figures demonstrate Kijiji's success in Italy: over 2.2 million unique users a month and more than 600,000 active advertisements among the various categories offered. The most popular categories are Job Offerings, Services and Professionals, Electronics, Animals and Related, Motorbikes and Scooters, Hobbies and Sports, Furniture and Decor, Clothing and Accessories, Books, Movies and Music.
Founded in 1995, eBay Inc. connects hundreds of millions of people around the world every day, empowering them to explore new opportunities and innovate together. eBay Inc. does this by providing the Internet platforms of choice for global commerce, payments and communications. Since its inception, eBay Inc. has expanded to include some of the strongest brands in the world, including eBay, PayPal, Skype, StubHub, Shopping.com and others. eBay Inc. is headquartered in San Jose, Calif.
eBay Annunci is a part of the eBay Classifieds Group, which is one of the fastest growing business units within eBay Inc. and includes 8 major brands: BilBasen, Den Bla Avis, eBay Classifieds (eBay Annunci, eBay Anuncios, & eBay Kleinanzeigen) Gumtree, Kijiji, LoQUo, Marktplaats and mobile.de. With a global presence in more than 20 countries and in more than 1,000 cities, the business unit has grown significantly since its inception in 2004. Its sites help people find whatever they’re looking for in their local communities – whether it’s a job, an apartment, a sofa, a car, a concept ticket, financial services or new friends. To learn more: http://ebayclassifiedsgroup.com/