has announced it would launch a warehousing and shipping service for merchants selling through its site, a new strategy that aims to attract more sellers to the ecommerce platform. The programme is currently in trial in the US and Germany and is similar to Amazon’s Fulfillment By Amazon service, or FBA, which allows merchants to rent space in warehouses worldwide so they can store inventory closer to customers. It is poised to help eBay ship products faster, increasingly a key consideration of shoppers when they browse for items online. eBay sellers send about 1.5 million packages daily in the US. Nonetheless, streamlined logistics networks and high warehouse capacity made a delivery service more feasible for eBay. Earlier in 2019, eBay has announced that it is buying a 5.5% stake in India-based ecommerce marketplace Paytm Mall.
Online auction site and retailer eBay has begun testing a warehousing and shipping service for retail merchants with the aim of attracting more sellers to its platform. The service, similar to the Fulfilment by Amazon system, is being tested in the US and Germany. Merchants can rent warehouse space to keep goods closer to customers. In Germany, eBay’s new “Warehouse Delivery” program will allow customers who have purchased items from online retailers such as Amazon, Alibaba or Rakuten to ship them directly to their doorstep.