eBay May Go The Way Of Amazon

It is hard to believe that the most successful auction site on the Internet may become the new Amazon. eBay is going to start telling its sellers that fixed pricing may be the way to go and not the more traditional auction, which eBay became famous for. Like everything else on the Internet, eBay is changing. They have found that people do not have the time to sit around and bid on stuff. They just want to buy it.

Interesting. So what is the real reason eBay is dropping the auction part of their business?

The announcement, timed to increase sales during the holiday shopping season, is just one of the changes eBay has made in the last few months aimed at reducing its dependence on its auction business, which is growing more slowly than fixed-price sales. It provides yet more evidence that consumers are losing interest in auctions now that online shopping sites have become more affordable and easier to use.

“Buying online has changed,” said Scot Wingo, chief executive of the market research firm ChannelAdvisor. “Retail sites no longer make customers choose between convenience and price.”

Lower upfront fees will enable sellers to offer a bigger selection, helping eBay better compete with fixed-price retailers, Mr. Wingo said. “The current system puts eBay at a disadvantage.”

So will eBay become the new Amazon? What do you think? Will you buy stuff from eBay if it isn’t offered in an auction and just as a fixed priced item?

Comments welcome.

Source.