October 10 2006

eBayExpress capabilities added to ChannelAdvisor

ChannelAdvisor - the system that allows retailers to sell fixed price goods into the main market places, aggregators, comparison sites and search engines - now supports eBayExpress in the UK. While the myriad possible outlets for retailers can seem daunting, middleware of this nature can allow retailers to extend their selling reach very easily.

ChannelAdvisor's press release is reproduced below, but for their existing customers the ability to easily add eBayExpress.co.uk as a sales outlet is attractive.

For retailers who are not specialist in any given intermediary's system then an 'upload once, distribute to many' model is attractive. For retailers who specialise in the idiosyncracies of a given channel then it's arguable that the main offer of such middle ware is the ability to cover the other bases with zero effort.

This said, when all retailers sell everything in every channel the customer will be overwhelmed by purchasing options and the question of differentiation will once more be paramount.

Like any arms race, an improvement in the armoury of one player serves to ratchet up the spending, sophistication and 'mean level' of capability.

Ian Jindal ChannelAdvisor said:

ChannelAdvisor Announces Support for eBayexpress.co.uk Leader in Channel Management Continues Its Channel Expansion with Support of eBay's Latest Marketplace Platform London, UK 9th October 2006: ChannelAdvisor, the leading provider of online channel management solutions (CMS), today announces the immediate support of eBayexpress.co.uk, a new speciality site designed specifically for fixed price offers from commercial vendors. By using ChannelAdvisor's technology, professional sellers are now able to automate large numbers of transactions on the site and quickly take advantage of this exciting new online platform. Launched in the UK today, eBay Express features fixed price listings, a new streamlined checkout experience and a unified shopping cart that allows buyers to purchase items from multiple sellers in one order - simplifying the eBay buying process. From today, ChannelAdvisor's customers can use its software to prepare, list, monitor and handle multiple offers quickly and efficiently on the new marketplace - helping them realise significant administration efficiencies and gain competitive advantage over other eBay businesses. Many of eBay's top merchants already use the ChannelAdvisor platform for their eBay and off-eBay channel management and the addition of eBay Express underpins ChannelAdvisor's commitment to offering comprehensive support for the world's leading online marketplaces. "ChannelAdvisor's technology has enabled us to grow our online retail business significantly over the past 6 months," said Matthew Goult, Managing Director at YouWantOne.com. "We continue to be impressed with ChannelAdvisor's early support and quick reaction to new marketplace developments such as Google Base and now eBay Express. Thanks to ChannelAdvisor, we are now set to go live on eBay Express before many of our competitors, which will give us a real advantage and help increase sales in the run up to Christmas." "We've been supporting the new eBay Express marketplace in the US since spring and in Germany since August," said Jennifer Gibson, General Manager at ChannelAdvisor International. "Now professional sellers in the UK can immediately use our proven tools to increase sales and take advantage of this new and exciting marketplace. We have key relationships with all the major players in the online ecommerce space, which allows us to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to support of the latest platforms. Our raison d'etre is to make it make it easy for businesses to sell online. We only grow if our customers are successful, so clearly we will do everything possible to support them." Matthew Hardcastle, Director, eBayexpress.co.uk, adds: "The launch of eBayexpress.co.uk is a significant development, not only for eBay, but also for thousands of retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers around the UK. With many businesses wanting to expand their customer base in the face of increased competition from supermarkets, online sites, and out-of-town shopping developments, eBay Express provides them with a hassle-free, credible, route to market and aims to help them increase their sales. ChannelAdvisor's support for eBay Express makes it even easier for businesses to implement and automate their buying / selling strategies. As a trusted partner, we work closely with ChannelAdvisor to ensure it can continue to offer its customers full support for our latest platforms."