eBay has extended its Always Open on eBay Australia initiative until 30 May, 2020, following the successful setup of hundreds of businesses in just three weeks.
As part of the initiative launched earlier this month, eBay has removed selling fees for three months for new businesses that sign up for an eBay store and has introduced an option to defer fees for 30 days for existing eligible sellers. The online marketplace is also removing listing fees until 30 June to allow sellers to list more items at no additional cost.
eBay Australia managing director, Tim MacKinnon, said, “It’s fantastic we’ve been able to help hundreds of Australian businesses navigate this tough period but there’s always more we can do. We’ve chosen to extend Always Open on eBay Australia so more retailers can gain access to our 11-million unique monthly visitors – for free.
“It’s never been more crucial for retailers to be online. At the start of lockdown we saw huge increases as people stocking up their pantries, setting up their home offices and ensuring they had things to do at home, but now we’re seeing week-on-week growth across all categories as Australians shift to doing more shopping online.”
MacKinnon said eBay is devastated to see so many Australian retailers closing their physical stores, but it doesn’t mean they need to close their business.
“In recent weeks we have seen more Australians come to eBay for the things they need from everyday essentials to office furniture and activities they can do indoors. eBay is the shopping centre of online retail, enabling small businesses to quickly and easily establish an online presence and ultimately ensure their goods are reaching the people that need them,” he said.
“eBay’s priority and responsibility is to be there for local businesses, whenever they need us. We’re only at the start of our support program and will be releasing new measures in the coming weeks and months as the situation evolves.
“COVID-19 has dealt a huge blow to businesses globally, but even more so in Australia where many have also been impacted by bushfires and drought in recent months. We want to do all we can to relieve some of the pressures they are facing.”
eBay Australia is investing millions of dollars to help small businesses through this initiative and will look to support its 40,000 Australian retailers via increased marketing and partnerships.