SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace and a leader in mobile commerce, and PayPal, a leader in online and mobile payments, are helping people to holiday shop when they want, where they want, anticipating a significant shift in typical Thanksgiving weekend shopping behavior. eBay and PayPal predict that after dinner on Thanksgiving Day, people will head for the couch, and their smartphones and tablets, in what will be the first mobile shopping spike this holiday season. As the new trend of “Couch Commerce” emerges, the company is leveraging technology innovations to deliver a more inspired, convenient holiday shopping experience.
“Mobile shopping is mainstream now, and eBay expects this holiday to be the largest mobile shopping season ever,” said Steve Yankovich, vice president of eBay Mobile. “Shoppers are in the driver’s seat, with mobile technology putting the mall right in your pocket. We’re using our mobile and tablet innovations to empower people to shop - and find the best deals - anytime, anywhere, any way they want - from the comfort of their couch or on the go.”
A New Shopping Trend, “Couch Commerce”
Even as retailers bump up the Black Friday timeline, savvy shoppers will get a head start right after Thanksgiving dinner, using mobile devices and tablets to browse and buy on their own terms - right from their living rooms. On Thanksgiving Day, eBay will serve up great deals for stay-at-home shoppers, including a prime time post-dinner “Deal Blast” at 7:00PM ET. Throughout the season, eBay’s Daily Deals deliver huge discounts and free shipping – available for a limited time from eBay's best sellers.
From the Thanksgiving Table to the Television, Watch with eBay™
According to Nielsen1, the average American watches approximately five hours of television - daily. As people tune-in to big football games and television specials over Thanksgiving weekend, eBay unveils new tablet technology that will change the way people experience and engage with their favorite shows, programs and sporting events on TV. New this month, a “Watch with eBay” tab is being added to the eBay iPad app that enables users to shop an incredible selection of items on the marketplace related to what they are watching. Users simply tap “Watch with eBay” and type in their zip code, cable provider, channel and the program they are currently watching; using show and event-specific key word searches, the app surfaces relevant merchandise from more than 200 million listings available on the eBay marketplace.
“Watch with eBay” will continue to evolve, as eBay incorporates technologies to make shopping alongside TV viewing even easier. With help from future partnerships, ranging from networks, stations, cable providers and studios, the app will identify products featured in each scene. Only eBay has the rich inventory and technology to power this television-commerce experience. View the “Watch with eBay” demo video and visit mobile.ebay.com for more information.
Skip the Lines, Shop in Peace
For shoppers braving Black Friday, eBay is serving up a sweet alternative to traditional retail mayhem with HAPPY HOLIDAY HOTSPOTS – favorite food trucks that deliver free food, free WiFi and free app downloads so people can shop in peace. Located in New York City’s Herald Square and San Francisco’s Union Square, on-the-go shoppers are invited to download the eBay mobile app to enjoy a free holiday treat and shop from millions of gifts - available new and now on eBay - right from a mobile device. With a click or a swipe, eBay mobile enables shoppers to skip the lines and buy what they want, when they want.
As leaders in mobile commerce, eBay and PayPal predict that this holiday will be the largest tablet and mobile shopping season ever. In 2011, eBay expects to see nearly $5 billion in mobile sales (Gross Merchandise Volume); PayPal expects more than $3.5 billion in mobile payment volume. eBay’s suite of mobile apps have been downloaded more than 58 million times – with three purchases per second made using eBay on mobile devices globally – enabling commerce whenever, wherever inspiration strikes this holiday season. For more, visit eBay.com/holiday.
About eBay Inc.
Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) is about enabling commerce. We do so through eBay, the world's largest online marketplace, which allows users to buy and sell in nearly every country on earth; through PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to securely, easily and quickly send and receive online payments; and through GSI, which facilitates ecommerce, multichannel retailing and digital marketing for global enterprises. X.commerce brings together the technology assets and developer communities of eBay, PayPal and Magento, an ecommerce platform, to support eBay Inc.’s mission of enabling commerce. We also reach millions through specialized marketplaces such as StubHub, the world's largest ticket marketplace, and eBay classifieds sites, which together have a presence in more than 1,000 cities around the world. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.
Forward Looking Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements relating to the future performance of eBay’s businesses that are based on its current expectations, forecasts and assumptions. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future growth in mobile commerce. Those statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those discussed. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, consumer acceptance and use of eBay’s mobile applications.
1 iPad is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. All other trademarks are the property their respective owners. Source: Nielsen, The Cross-Platform Report, Quarter 1 2011