eBay Fashion Outlet: Discount Online Shopping
That's it: We're never getting off our couch again.
Virtual shopping got a major boost this week with news of Zara's upcoming e-commerce début, and now eBay is upping the ante by announcing plans to launch the first online "outlet shopping mall" in the U.S., Women's Wear Daily reports.
Based on the success of its virtual outlets in Germany and the U.K., the e-tailer will be bringing steep discounts stateside on September 19.
Targeting women aged 25 to 44, the 24/7 eBay Fashion Outlet will offer 20 to 60 percent off women's and men's apparel, shoes, and handbags from the likes of Neiman Marcus Last Call, Bluefly, Fila, Timberland, William Rast, Spanx, Custo Barcelona, and Brooks Brothers (more brands/retailers will be announced in the future).
The site will also feature trend reporting and advice from new eBay creative director Andrea Linnett, formerly of Lucky.
“We’ve been on a journey since April 2010 to focus in on fashion more than before,” Miriam Lahage, eBay fashion's general manager tells WWD of the site's recent designer collaborations and other fashion projects.
eBay will earn a portion of each sale, and will let each retail partner run their own outlet site. A mobile app version is also being considered.
"We provide the shell and they design into that shell,” Lahage says. “Every brand will chose their own merchandising strategy, as you would expect. The aim is to have the best selection across all the brands and to bring online that same outlet shopping experience that consumers can’t find close to their homes."
No more parking lot mazes and endless dressing room lines? We're pinching ourselves.
