Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home IT Management
    • IT Management

    Web Auction Site Meets Resistance to Storefronts

    Written by

    Dennis Callaghan
    Published April 16, 2001
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      eBay Inc. is looking to leverage its 28 million registered auction customers by expanding its e-commerce offerings with hosted storefronts for small business.

      The plan is facing criticism from small businesses that demand a lot of services and said theyd worry about competition from eBays auction business.

      For example, before it launches the Web storefronts, which are expected this summer, eBay, of San Jose, Calif., might want to talk to business owners such as Don Shingler, who once tried a hosted storefront and was disheartened.

      Shingler, president of Seattle manufacturer The Down Factory, had a hosted Web storefront in an online shopping mall called iMall. When iMall joined Excite Inc.s ExciteStores iStore unit, Shingler saw his hosting fees nearly double to $80 a month, with no corresponding increase in service.

      Shingler, who dropped ExciteStores in favor of Actinic Catalog, a licensed storefront software offering from Actinic Software LLC, doesnt expect that eBays large user base will necessarily translate into customers for the online storefronts. “When a person wants to buy a product, they know what product they want going in,” Shingler said. “And, usually, if they know the product they want, theyve gone to a search engine to find it. I really dont see the impact of eBay hosting stores.”

      Other businesses fear that an eBay storefronts offerings would compete with similar products being auctioned on eBay. “When youre on eBay, youre looking for the best deal. Why would you want to buy something at a full-priced store?” asked Todd Livdahl, a co-founder of Sneetch.com, an Anaheim, Calif., online retailer. “If we were selling Gladiator for $18, thered be 20 other people on the auction side of eBay selling it for less.”

      “A lot of our customers put our products up on eBay [for auction],” said Kathryn Morton, president of Avonlea Traditions Inc., a Newmarket, Ontario, maker of collectible dolls. “We could alienate them if we opened a storefront there.”

      Though eBay officials declined to comment on unannounced plans, the company is not limited to auctions and has been letting vendors sell fixed-price items on its site since last year. But with its storefronts it will be entering a crowded market. In addition to the dozens of portals that allow small businesses to sell online, Yahoo Inc. has been hosting storefronts for years, and Amazon.com Inc. hosts specialty vendors storefronts through its zShops.

      Last week, AuctionWatch Inc., of San Bruno, Calif., added the capability for merchants to sell fixed-price items through its online storefronts.

      Dennis Callaghan
      Dennis Callaghan

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.