eBay to trial bricks-and-mortar store in London
by Steven Mostyn - Nov 18 2011, 06:21
Image: eBay.
In a move to extend its customer reach, online auction specialist eBay has revealed plans to dip its toe into physical retail by opening a bricks-and-mortar store in London.
Although the ‘store’ will only exist for a period of five days, it shows that eBay is willing to explore the possibility of expanding its retail horizons—much in the same way as Internet retail giant Amazon.
The somewhat usual eBay outlet will appear in central London on Dean Street (which is off Oxford Street) and will be open between December 1 and December 5.
It’s unusual insofar as curious customers will not actually be able to purchase anything in store, but will instead be able to peruse and inspect the top 200 best-selling items from the eBay website.
If any particular products tickle their fancy to the point of splashing the cash, smartphone-equipped customers can scan an item’s QR code and buy it directly through the online store.
Beyond the ‘gallery-style’ product display, eBay’s store will also boast a number of tablet computers allowing customers to browse and purchase from the massive 200 million items available online.
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