More Sources on eBay’s Inside Source

by Rachelle Robinett

TIS

According to its website, with 88 million users and nearly 200 million items for sale daily, eBay is “the world’s largest online marketplace”. It is also a self-proclaimed cultural barometer – “a global community set to forecast global shopping trends daily through searches, purchases and live sales”.

Putting its power to expected use, eBay launched The Inside Source.

We wondered if the site, which features editorial content, trend news and shopping by TOPIC, all with an emphasis on the new, not the used (unless it’s newly trendy because it’s used) would be much different than eBay’s somewhat dated homepage and today we got our answer. The new venture is markedly different and going it alone as far as aesthetics and tone.

It’s intended to “re-engage consumers and shift perceptions of eBay,” said Alan Marks, eBay’s senior vice president of corporate communications. “People still think of eBay as an auction site, even though more than half of its goods are now sold at fixed prices.” The new site is for the shopper “who is sophisticated, has a sensibility about fashion and lifestyle and may be familiar with eBay but maybe not the full extent of everything it has to offer,” said Meredith Barnett, the site’s editorial director.

The CONNECT section is a model of social media accessorizing done right. Comprehensive and crystal clear, Facebook, Twitter, RSS feeds and recent posts are displayed as oversized buttons that beg to be clicked and likely don’t daunt even the newest Facebook moms.

With all-star editors connecting style news to special finds, we’re fans of the new direction.

Read More {The New York Times}

{The Inside Source}

{eBay}