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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 Japans 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 eBays 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 theyre perfect for partnerships.
Currently, the group is in talks with Tom Online of China and Sanook of Thailand to further
establish their international operations.
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