Americans still buy 90 percent of their purchases offline, but eBay Inc. sees great opportunity in the convergence of online and offline. As reported in Sunday’s New York Times magazine story “Buy It Now,” eBay is no longer the online auction house of old. Under the guidance of chief executive John Donahoe, the company has developed technology partnerships with big retailers like Home Depot, Macy’s, Toys ‘‘R’’ Us and Target and expanded eBay’s online marketplace to include returnable goods at fixed prices. The company has also made 34 acquisitions over the last five years and sees a future in which the digital wallet plays a central role.
“The company is betting its future on the idea that its interactive technology can turn shopping into a kind of entertainment, or at least make commerce something more than simply working through price-plus-shipping calculations,” writes journalist Jeff Himmelman. “[eBay Inc is] using everything from physical stores to mobile applications to delivery services to make sure that customers can get what they want when they want it.”
Himmelman paints a comprehensive picture of eBay Inc. enabling commerce across our portfolio of businesses for retailers of all sizes. To emphasize his point, he quotes from executives Chris Saridakis, Hill Ferguson, David Marcus, Steve Yankovich and Healey Cypher, in addition to Donahoe.
The article in full is available on the NYTimes.com website.
(Image courtesy of the New York Times)
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