eBay and Accenture Unveil New Service for Large Volume Sellers
“Connection to eBay” Links 46 Million Consumers to Inventories of Manufacturers and Retailers
LAS VEGAS, Nev.; May 7, 2002 – eBay and Accenture today introduced a new service designed to help retailers, manufacturers and distributors more efficiently and cost-effectively sell merchandise on eBay. The new service, called “Connection to eBay,” was introduced this afternoon at the NetWorld+Interop conference in Las Vegas during a keynote speech by Maynard Webb, president of eBay Technologies, and Robert Frerichs, a managing partner in Accenture’s Communications & High Tech group.
The initiative will combine eBay’s marketplace of nearly 46 million registered users with Accenture’s proven track record of delivering innovative technology and management services and solutions to businesses. The two executives said the goal of “Connection to eBay” is to provide businesses with a more profitable and easy-to-use vehicle to sell excess or discontinued inventory on eBay. The new service, which will be owned and operated by Accenture, allows sellers to tap into a wide range of enhanced tools and services including sales strategies, high-volume listing capabilities, customer service and support, checkout, payment and fulfillment processes.
During the keynote address, Webb called “Connection to eBay” a natural evolution of the eBay marketplace. “Businesses are looking for innovative, effective and value-driven solutions as they explore new markets via the Internet,” Webb said. “’Connection to eBay’ will expand the eBay trading platform by offering buyers a greater choice of merchandise while presenting new distribution options for businesses looking to sell excess inventory.”
According to research conducted by Accenture, U.S. businesses process nearly $80 billion in excess or “end-of-life” inventory. But selling this inventory is inefficient, often involving multiple distribution points, intermediaries and numerous physical and transactional steps.
“’Connection to eBay’ creates a new alternative to cumbersome and costly liquidation channels for companies to achieve a greater return by selling inventory through eBay’s efficient marketplace,” said Frerichs. “Our turnkey solutions are based upon scalable tools and services that help companies tightly integrate their business within the eBay platform allowing them to more quickly reach eBay’s extensive online commerce community.”
Accenture and eBay conducted extensive market research and field trials and found that merchants often earn up to twice as much, and sometimes more on each transaction, by selling on eBay as compared to traditional liquidation channels. The two companies have been testing “Connection to eBay” on a limited basis by selling “end-of-life” computer equipment on the eBay site and will expand “Connection to eBay” testing this summer with a select number of clients. A full roll-out of the services are planned before year’s end.
Kevin Reedy, a partner in Accenture’s Communications & High Tech group, will head the “Connection to eBay” service, which will be adjacent to eBay’s offices in San Jose, CA.
About eBay
eBay is The World’s Online Marketplace™. Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world.
About Accenture
Accenture is the world’s leading management consulting and technology services organization. Through its network of businesses approach – in which the company enhances its consulting and outsourcing expertise through alliances, affiliated companies and other capabilities – Accenture delivers innovations that help clients across all industries quickly realize their visions. With more than 75,000 people in 47 countries, the company generated net revenues of $11.44 billion for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2001. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
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