|
Magazines Archives - 2008 January
eBay partners rival Yahoo! Japan to
encourage cross-border spending
Story 14
US-BASED global online
auctioneer eBay Inc and Yahoo! Japan, one of Japan’s biggest
online auction operators, have inked a partnership last
month to link their online auction services in a
bid to ease cross-border transactions in both countries for
buyers and sellers, according to local media.
The two companies set up a Japanese-language portal called
sekaimon.com, where Yahoo! Japan
users are able to bid for items on eBay and vice versa.
eBay had previously entered the Japanese market in 2000, but
pulled out two years later, in the face of stiff competition
from established local vendors Yahoo! Japan and Rakuten.
However, as language barriers, shipment and payment
arrangements are being overcome, eBay and Yahoo! Japan
anticipate that more shoppers will go online to search for
overseas bargains.
Meg Whitman, CEO of eBay, said: “We are excited to partner
with Yahoo!Japan in providing Japanese users with a
localised site designed to enable them to shop on the eBay
marketplace with ease and convenience.”
By mid-2008, buyers in the US will be able to purchase
auction items on Yahoo! Japan via eBay. The move is also in
line with eBay’s expansion plans into Asia, as consumer
markets in the
region continue to boom.
Jay Lee, senior vice-president of eBay Asia Pacific,
revealed plans to venture into countries such as Vietnam,
stating: “These are places where the local customs and
markets are very distinct, so they’re perfect for
partnerships.”
Currently, the group is in talks with Tom Online of China
and Sanook of Thailand to further
establish their international operations. |
