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Ebay is set to bring in sweeping changes to the way that the site runs, which see it moving further away from its original auction-based success.
The changes, which eBay confirmed yesterday, are part of a series of changes aimed at helping the site to compete against an ever rising tide of competitors such as Amazon and Play’s respective marketplaces.
"I’d say this is the most fundamental change we’ve made, ever, to the marketplace," president of eBay marketplace operations in the US, Lorrie Norrington said. "It’s a huge shift from where we’ve been."
Amongst the details announced are plans to increase prominence and lower charges for those sellers looking to use fixed pricing. Norrington added that almost all users would see a fall in fees, but that the largest falls would be for those using fixed prices.
The change is seen as a move towards increasing the prominence of its ubiquitous ‘Buy It Now’ feature, which now accounted for 43 per cent of all sales – a rise of 60 per cent over the past six years.
Speaking to the TimesOnline, director for marketplaces for eBay UK, Clare Gilmartin said: "Buyers increasingly want the convenience of shopping for great value, often new, items at a fixed price. This is fuelling a big growth in the number of large and small sellers using eBay in this way.
"Today’s improvements will remove barriers for sellers so they can make the most of this opportunity and offer even more goods for sale on eBay."
