By Aimee Chantahdavong
With the boom in mobile shopping and the launch of the Windows Phone 7, eBay.com.au has announced it will be releasing an application suitable for the new platform in mid-October 2010.
The application will be joining eBay.com.au’s existing apps for the Android, iPad, iPhone and Blackberry.
Jenny Thomas, an eBay.com.au spokesperson, told Retailbiz that over the last 15 years people have changed the way they shop and this launch is just eBay’s adaption to the evolving market.
“For example, traditionally known as an auction site, fixed price items now account for over half of all global eBay sales led by a shift in buyer demand,” she said.
“Increasingly shoppers are also choosing to purchase on the move through their mobile phone and eBay’s history of constant innovation means that we are able to ensure that there are new and fun ways for people to shop on eBay while on the move.”
In 2009, eBay’s mobile merchandise volume was more than US$600 million globally.
Closer to home, eBay.com.au has seen an increase in the number of Australians using their mobiles to shop. Between January and July 2010, Australians bought over 1 million items on eBay through a mobile device and monthly sales volumes doubled in that period.
“In fact, Australia has the highest smartphone penetration and eBay mobile sales are growing faster in Australia than in any other major eBay market with an item purchased through an eBay app every 15 seconds,” Thomas said.
Thomas also noted the sale increases have grown further due to the strong Australian dollar.
“eBay.com.au certainly sees an increase in consumers taking advantage of the strong dollar by making more purchases from international eBay sellers,” she said.
“According to Frost and Sullivan’s ecommerce report 2010, 40 per cent of items purchased by Australians online are imported, so we already know that Australians have firmly established themselves as international shoppers! However with the strong Aussie dollar this inevitably encourages even more consumers to take advantage of international bargains.”