Updates to @eBayMobile @eBayMotors app: Snap a pic, find a car #Daytona

With the new version of eBay Motors iPhone App, users can now take a picture of a vehicle they like to identify its make/model/year, and gain instant access to like inventory on eBay Motors.

eBay Motors Photo Search

For racing fans, the new app update also includes, for the first time ever from eBay, live streamed content of behind-the-scenes action from the Rolex 24 at Daytona racing event. Former Le Mans winner Justin Bell will host the “under the hood” live look into the pit crews at the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 this weekend, January 26-29. The coverage will complement the live broadcast on SPEED, ongoing updates on GRAND-AM.com, and “after-hours” coverage on SPEED.com.

eBay Motors Daytona LIVE

Other new app features include:
** More winning – receive notifications for when you are outbid, when items you are watching are ending, and updates on the current Best Offer
** Stock your Garage – stock images for vehicles are now available for quick and easy profile updates to users’ personal eBay Motors “Garage,” providing simple search for parts that fit your car, and simple sharing options
** Tweet it out – easily share the parts and vehicles you are buying or selling with your followers on Twitter (currently for iOS 5 only).

Cheers,
RBH

eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – January 27 #InkRoundup

eBay Shares Social Media Advice for Online Sellers
eBay prepared a guide for sellers on “social media selling,” advising sellers on how to use social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs to promote their eBay listings. They styleguide counsels sellers to genuinely contribute to the conversation, don’t spam your fans and don’t be controversial. [via eBay]

Further News
+ Social media is helping drive the economy and empowering the people.
+ Mobile companies continue to see support from venture capitalists.
+ Physical stores want features that let them become more like online stores.

Posts From the Week
+ John Donahoe on consumer & retail shifts at the DLD Conference
+ eBay employees are invited to Bring it. Sell it. Ship it.
+ eBay’s Paul Jones receives Industry Service Award from Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA)

Looking Back on eBay Ink
January 27, 2010: eBay Buyers & Sellers gave $54.8 Million to nonprofits in 2010 through @eBayGiving. In a world where things rarely seem to shock or surprise anymore, the capacity to give never ceases to amaze me. A record $54.8 million was donated to U.S. and U.K. nonprofit organizations by eBay buyers and sellers in 2010. A donation was made every 24 seconds through eBay Giving Works, raising more than $91 every minute for nonprofits. Nearly 9 million items were listed for sale in 2010 – with all or a portion of the sale price donated to a nonprofit – more than double the items listed in 2009.Since eBay Giving Works was launched in 2003, $230 million has been raised for U.S. and U.K. charities and currently lists over 650,000 charity items on the marketplace.

eBay Ink Weekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.

#eBay CEO discusses consumer & retail shifts at Germany’s @DLDConference #DLD12

DLD Conference 2012 - Day 3

eBay Inc. President and CEO John Donahoe spoke at the Digital Life Design conference in Munich, Germany on Jan. 24, noting that lines between online and offline commerce are blurring “at a stunningly fast rate.” For half of retail transactions last year, he said, consumers accessed the web at some point during the shopping experience.

As VentureBeat reported, John predicted more rapid changes in consumer behavior going forward. “I believe that you’re going to see more change in how consumers shop and pay in the next three years than we’ve seen in the last 20 years,” he said. “We’re providing mobile capabilities that consumers are grabbing, but the consumer is in charge here.”

VentureBeat added: “Donahoe talked extensively about eBay’s role as a friend to the retailer — criticizing Amazon’s competitive approach without specifically naming the company — and how through the acquisitions of GSI, RedLaser, and Milo, along with payments solution PayPal, eBay has transformed itself from an auction site to an open commerce platform (X.commerce).”

“We’re enablers,” John said. “The real winners are going to be retailers … the retailers that adopt a multichannel shopping experience.”

DLD Conference 2012 - Day 3

The Next Web took note of John’s comments on social commerce and its evolution. “Our platform connects into Facebook’s platform in a very compelling way, and I’d like it to plug in to Google+’s platform too,” he said. “Innovation and social commerce won’t be a big winner-takes-all killer app. It’s going to be a lot of innovative experiments, some of which will really take off.”

On the topic of innovation, The Wall Street Journal reported on John’s comments on eBay’s interest in pioneering start-up companies. “Those are the kinds of companies we are interested in talking to and if you are out there, we’d love to talk.”

Cheers,
RBH

[Images via Hubert Burda Media/Flickr]
[Story originally appeared on eBay's Intranet site The Hub]

eBay employees are invited to Bring it. Sell it. Ship it.

Sell it Here banner

What better way to understand our customers than to be active buyers and sellers?

eBay employees now have an even easier way to sell on eBay. Introduced this week as a pilot program for employees, the new “Sell it Here” station is located at San Jose, Whitman Campus. Employees will find the Sell it Here station stocked with everything they need to list and sell their items on eBay.

Sell it Here instructions

They can take a picture and list their items using their mobile phone or iPad. Once the item sells, they can print their label on the spot and find all the free packing materials they need. They can then drop their package in any of the new Sell it Here mailboxes, which can be found on the first floor of every building on campus.

Sell it Here at eBay HQ - San Jose

Sell It Here Kick-off

The Seller is In
For those employees selling for the first time, each Wednesday from 2pm to 4pm, employee Power Sellers will be on hand in the station to help folks get started and answer their selling questions.

Sell it Here Kick-off 2

Sold and Shipped

I’m interested to see how involved people get with the program. Selling on eBay couldn’t be any easier. I’ve only sold a handful of items on eBay over the years but now I really have no excuse. I’m looking forward to taking part. Bringing it. Selling it. Shipping it.

Cheers!
RBH

eBay’s Paul Jones receives Industry Service Award from Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA)

2011 JSA Award

Pictured (from left): John Kennedy, President of JSA; Paul Jones, eBay Inc.; Jack Christin, eBay Inc.; and Bob Frank, VP of JSA

Earlier this month, the Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA) awarded its seventh annual “Industry Service Award” to Paul Jones, the senior director of global asset protection at eBay. JSA is a trade association of jewelry manufacturers and retailers and a key partner in the fight to keep eBay’s platforms free of stolen goods. Each year, the Jewelers’ Security Alliance presents its Industry Service Award to someone not in law enforcement who has made a significant impact on the security of the jewelry industry.

From LP Magazine: In his nearly three years at eBay, Paul and his expert team have improved the integrity of the online marketplace through closer cooperation with law enforcement and major retailers. Through the PROACT program, eBay has increasingly assisted law enforcement personnel with investigations involving jewelry that have resulted in significant arrests, and has partnered with the JSA in a multi-pronged effort to combat organized jewelry crime through mutual training and assistance. This huge marketplace has great significance for the jewelry industry since eBay sellers list several million items of fine jewelry, watches, loose diamonds, and gems on the site. Because of his leadership role in working tirelessly to reduce crime and fraud in eBay’s online marketplace, JSA presented the Seventh Annual JSA Industry Service Award to Paul Jones.

Jones was cited for improving the integrity of the eBay marketplace, especially through closer cooperation with law enforcement and with major retailers. Jones has helped build the PROACT program, which brings together stakeholders in a common effort to reduce fraud, fencing and other crimes and abuses involving the eBay marketplace. He was quick to acknowledge that he accepted the award on behalf of the entire PROACT team – Stoney Burke, Lauren Cunningham, Dave DiSilva, Matt Flinders and Hawken Averett – and their tireless work.

Read more about the award at Diamonds.net and National Jeweler.

Congrats!
RBH

Magento Go Leaving ProStores Users in the Lurch?

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PayPal Email Change Causes Major Headaches for Merchants

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Who's Buying Where and the Influence of California Art Law

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Changes Coming to EcommerceBytes Blogs

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Antiques Roadshow Embroiled in Appraiser Controversy

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eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – January 20 #InkRoundup

eBay Inc. Reports Strong Q4 Results
eBay reported its net income grew sharply in the fourth quarter, increasing 35% to $3.4 billion, compared to the same period of 2010. Results beat analyst’s expectations, boosted by strong holiday sales and growth at PayPal. eBay gave a first-quarter outlook that was shy of analysts’ estimates, however its guidance for the full year was stronger than expected, suggesting robust earnings momentum later in 2012. [via New York Times]

Further News
+ Apple’s voice recognition feature, Siri will eventually be used for online shopping according to it’s patent.
+ Will e-commerce be caught in the crosshairs of SOPA and PIPA?
+ According to a survey, mobile shoppers prefer browser-based commerce to apps.

Posts From the Week
+ NRF 2012 Mobile Payments Panel Recap; [VIDEO] 5 Minutes with PayPal’s Don Kingsborough
+ eBay Inc. Reports Strong Q4 and Full Year 2011 Results
+ PayPal mobile payments pilot at 51 Home Depot stores
+ [VIDEO INTERVIEW] eBay CEO, John Donahoe, on CNBC
+ Check out the all-new Green.eBay.com!
+ A full recap of eBay Inc. at NRF 2012

Looking Back on eBay Ink
January 19, 2010: eBay Improves on Top 20 NRF Ranking for Customer Service in 2009. According to the fifth annual NRF Foundation/American Express Customers’ Choice survey, eBay is ranked #12 overall for customer service in 2009 (up 2 from #14 in 2008).

Consumers answered the open ended question, “Thinking of all the different retail formats (store, catalog, internet, or home shopping), which retailer delivers the best customer service?

Like I said when I wrote about this last year, it is the individual sellers on the eBay marketplace that should be commended for achieving this high ranking. After all, they’re the ones providing the customer service to consumers on a daily basis.

eBay Ink Weekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.

eBay's New Coins Policy Buys Troubled Discussion

eBay s changing another policy in its continuing effort to help people shop and sell more confidently, this time within the coin category on the site - it is banning listings for replica coins ...


A full recap of #eBayatNRF #NRF12

Apologies for the delay here. I realize I’ve been back in the Bay Area for 24 hours but had to focus on eBay Q4 2011 earnings yesterday, meaning that my NRF 2012 recap post got put on hold. Without further ado, here you go folks…

NRF 2012 Social Shopping Panel

Monday’s Panel:
Social Shopping: Mobility, Social Media and Personalized Services
Moderator: Kevin Permenter, The Aberdeen Group
Panelists:
Liam O’Keefe, Black Bear Saloon
Rick Orr, TabbedOut
Bob Schwartz, Magento

Overview: Connected devices make what was once a solitary trip to the store a more socially connected event. Smartphones don’t serve as just another marketing vehicle—they can be a platform to combine the digital and physical worlds. As shoppers go through the process of discovering new products, testing them and reflecting on their purchases, they share these thoughts with their social networks and influence perception among their peer group. This session will examine why retailers must embrace and facilitate this sharing of information, and how retail outlets need to evolve to create experiences that drive sales in-store. Retailers will learn how to integrate mobile and social media strategies into a cohesive business model that enhances marketing and merchandising.

It was an engaging discussion with some key trends running through the presentations. It was something we heard from eBay Inc. CEO, John Donahoe last week and from Don Kingsborough on Sunday: The rules of technology are being rewritten and the rate of change is incredible – particularly in the world of retail and commerce. Again, the emphasis was made on the need for the education of – and adoption by – merchants. It was also agreed that when it comes to all the huge amounts of data coming in through social channels, the key is prioritization and delegation.

eBay Inc. at NRF 2012: Show Floor

PayPal Shopping Showcase

PayPal Shopping Showcase Behind the Scenes (5)

On my last day in New York I was lucky enough to check out the PayPal Shopping Showcase (and unlucky enough to get into a physical altercation with a NYC taxi cab on my walk over… but that’s another story).

From the PayPal Blog:
Imagine a digital wallet that stores all of your gift cards, loyalty points and offers and then automatically applies the stored money and savings for you at the point of sale. Imagine purchasing an oversized item from the aisle and having it shipped directly to your house in a matter of clicks. At the Shopping Showcase, we’ll be showing merchants and select members of the media a complete set of solutions that do all of this – and so much more

PayPal Shopping Showcase - Manhattan

You can check out all my photos of the PayPal Shopping Showcase in eBay Ink at NRF flickr set.

Also, be sure to check out our recap and video of Don Kingsborough, PayPal GM of Retail and Prepaid, and his mobile payments panel.

It has been a whirlwind 10 days covering both CES and NRF but it’s good to be back at HQ and working on some cool social projects for 2012. Will keep you all posted.

Cheers!
RBH

Check out the all-new Green.eBay.com!

New eBay Green Team
The eBay Green Team Blog has just announced the launch of a new and improved destination for eBay Green.

The next iteration of Green.eBay.com aims to be a first-of-its-kind site that combines community-generated content, green products and projects, and news about hot-off-the-press programs and partnerships — all designed to help you live a greener lifestyle on a leaner budget. It’s our first attempt at fusing our old sites—the content-focused eBay Green Team site and the shopping-focused green.eBay.com—into one comprehensive, informative, and idea-rich experience.

It’s a slick looking site and, as an eBay Green Team member myself since 2008, I’m excited to see the progress they’re making over there.

The new site was created with the goal of becoming a resource center, a community hub, and, of course, a marketplace, for our over 300,000 Green Team members—and eBay-ers of all shades of green. Our hope is that the new Green.eBay will become a place that you regularly visit for lifestyle inspiration, and where you can share your favorite green ideas, projects, and products with others like you.

Be sure to follow @eBayGreen on Twitter and check out the eBay Green Facebook page.

Cheers!
RBH

[VIDEO INTERVIEW] eBay CEO, John Donahoe, on CNBC

Following up on yesterday’s Q4FY2011 earnings announcement for eBay Inc., John Donahoe joined CNBC this morning to discuss the results, the outlook of the company, and the changes in consumer behavior in the online and offline world.
Cheers,
RBH

John Donahoe, @eBay CEO, tries out @PayPal mobile payment @HomeDepot stores

No wallet… No phone… No problem!

John Donahoe paying with PayPal at Home Depot

eBay Inc. CEO, John Donahoe, talked about the new PayPal mobile payment tests being run at 51 Home Depot stores starting this week during eBay’s quarterly earnings call this afternoon. He went one better too. He actually visited a store this morning to try out the technology first-hand.

eBay CEO, John Donahoe, Visits Home Depot to pay with PayPal

Leaving his wallet and his mobile phone in his car, he tried the first-hand integration this morning at a San Jose Home Depot. By entering his mobile phone number and PIN, he was able to pay for a hammer in a matter of seconds. The receipt was emailed to him.

Home Depot Terminal with PayPal

The system works in two ways:
1. Using an in-store terminal, shoppers can buy items by punching in a phone number and PIN linked to their PayPal account
2. Pay using a plastic card issued by PayPal that works like a credit card


Here’s an example of a text receipt sent to a mobile phone after purchase:

PayPal Home Depot receipt

I think I may head over to Home Depot on Friday to try this out for myself.

Cheers!
RBH

eBay Releases Fourth Quarter and Full Year Earnings for 2011

eBay s conference call with analysts is at 5:00 pm EST today, here is the company s press release announcing fourth quarter and full year 2011 earnings, you can view the full release with tables on ...


$eBay Inc. Reports Strong Q4 and Full Year 2011 Results #eBayQ411

eBay Q4 2011 Earnings Graphic

eBay Inc. today reported that revenue for Q4FY11, increased 35% to $3.4 billion, compared to the same period of 2010. We recorded Q4 net income on a GAAP basis of $2.0 billion, or $1.51 per diluted share, and non-GAAP net income of $788.6 million, or $0.60 per diluted share. The year-over-year increase in fourth quarter GAAP earnings per diluted share was driven primarily by a gain on the sale of the company’s remaining investment in Skype. The year-over-year increase in the fourth quarter non-GAAP earnings per diluted share was driven primarily by strong top-line growth and improved productivity partially offset by a higher tax rate.

For the full year, revenue increased 27% to $11.7 billion, compared to 2010. The company generated net income on a GAAP basis of $3.2 billion, or $2.46 per diluted share, and non-GAAP net income of $2.7 billion, or $2.03 per diluted share.

There are a number of options for you to get more information around today’s earnings announcement. You can listen along to the live eBay earnings call. You can follow along with my tweets in real-time, beginning at 2pm PT.

You can access the full Q4 2011 eBay earnings announcement.

For folks interested in following the entire conversation on StockTwits, go to http://stocktwits.com/symbol/EBAY.

Here are the highlights…

PayPal
PayPal ended the quarter with 106.3 million active registered accounts, a 13% increase year over year. On average, PayPal added a million new accounts every month in 2011. PayPal revenue increased 28% year over year and PayPal’s net total payment volume (TPV) great 24% to $33.4 billion in Q4 compared to the same period of last year. Revenue from PayPal’s international markets exceeded revenue from the United States for the first time in Q4, reflecting the company’s strong global footprint and growth in emerging markets. The company’s mobile payment volume reached $4.0 billion in 2011, more than five times the mobile payment volume in the prior year, as more consumers used their smart phones and tablets to pay online.

eBay Marketplaces
The Marketplaces business also delivered a strong Q4. Marketplaces revenue for the quarter was up 16% year over year. Gross merchandise volume (GMV), excluding vehicles, increased by 10% year over year to $16.5 billion with sold items up 11% globally year over year. U.S. GMV excluding vehicles increased 10% year over year. International GMV, excluding vehicles, increased 9% year over year.

eBay mobile reached a record $5 billion transacted through mobile devices during 2011 as increased adoption of eBay’s mobile apps and product innovation drove deeper customer engagement across all platforms.

GSI
GSI, which was acquired in the second quarter of 2011, contributed $363.6 million in revenue for Q4. GSI generated $1.4 billion in global ecommerce (GeC) merchandise sales during the quarter, driven by strong performance by top merchants, where same store sales were 24% year over year, outpacing expected ecommerce growth rates in Q4.

Business Outlook
Q1 2012 — eBay expects net revenues in the range of $3,050 – $3,150 million with GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $0.37 – $0.38 and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $0.50 – $0.51.

Full year 2012 — eBay expects net revenues in the range of $13,700 – $14,000 million with GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $1.76 – $1.81 and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $2.25 – $2.30.

Cheers,
RBH

eBay and Amazon Abstain from SOPA Protest Blackout

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Could eBay Actually Build Goodwill with New Paid Listings Ads?

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eBay Raises Cost of Domestic Goods, Lowers Costs of Asian Imports

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NRF 2012 Mobile Payments Panel Recap; [VIDEO] 5 Minutes with PayPal’s Don Kingsborough

Mobile Payments Panel at NRF 2012

The National Retail Federation (NRF) 2012 is in full swing here in NYC. It’s my first time attending this show and I’ve been trying to do my best to see everything on display on the expo floor while also attending panels on which we have eBay Inc. representation.

The first was yesterday’s panel:
Making Dollars – and Sense – in Mobile Payments
Moderator: Sahir Anand, The Aberdeen Group
Panelists:
Bruce Yen, Guess? Inc.
Don Kingsborough, VP/GM, Retail & Prepaid, PayPal
Doug Kilgour, Sr. Biz Development Executive Isis Mobile Commerce,
Mung Ki Woo, head of mobile, Mastercard

Overview: The mobile payments space comprises two different systems: 1) payments using the mobile network, and 2) contactless payments. Payments and the services mobile payments enable at the store level can serve as a powerful and disruptive force in the retail environment. This session reviews the latest in this rapidly evolving technology and business, and details the newest players in the mobile payments ecosystem.

The engaging discussion covered similar themes addressed in last week’s CES mobile panels, and I was fortunate to catch up with PayPal’s Don Kingsborough earlier today to chat about those themes:

Look for more updates soon. Remember to follow @ebayinkblog for all the live-updates from the conference and to follow the discussion you can check out #NRF12 and #eBayatNRF. You can also check out the eBay Inc. at NRF overview.
Cheers!
RBH

Testing the new blog

This is the 1st blog post to test the new software ...


PHOTOS: eBay Ink at NRF 2012

Crowds arriving for Day 1 of NRF 2012

I have created an NRF 2012 Flickr folder for you to view all photos and images coming out of #eBayatNRF. I’ll continue to update over the next 24 hours.

Demo time at the PayPal booth NRF 2012


Look for panel recaps and exclusive interviews from the show floor over the next few days.

Milo greets attendees at NRF 2012

Remember to follow @ebayinkblog for all the live-updates from the conference and to follow the discussion you can check out #NRF12 and #eBayatNRF. You can also check out the eBay Inc. at NRF overview.

Cheers,
RBH

eBay Extends Completed Item Research Data to 60 Days

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eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – January 13 #InkRoundup

eBay CEO Predicts Big Numbers for eBay and PayPal in 2012
The Consumer Electronic Show was a hotbed for announcements this week. eBay’s CEO John Donahoe announced that PayPal is projecting that they will see $7 billion in mobile payment volume in 2012. And while the shift to mobile is increasingly going to become the norm, eBay is predicting it will do $8 billion in mobile GMV and PayPal will do $7 billion in mobile payment volume this year. [via GigaOm]

Further News
+ Bodymetrics is a new 3D mapping system lets you try on clothes virtually.
+ Experts weigh in on the impact of mobile shopping on online sellers.
+ Women are more likely than men to purchase electronics.
+ Why is Monday e-Retailers’ favorite day of the week?

Posts From the Week
+ At a glance: eBay Inc. at NRF 2012
+ [VIDEO] 5 Minutes with eBay Inc. CEO, John Donahoe
+ eBay Inc. at NRF 2012 – The floor plan
+ John Donahoe: “eBay Mobile GMV will surpass $8 Billion in 2012”
+ eBay Inc. at CES 2012 – Day 1 recap
+ At a glance: eBay Inc. at CES 2012

Looking Back on eBay Ink
January 6, 2011: Notes from the Road: eBay Ink at #CES. The Lounge is set up for demos of our barcode scanning tools and the integration of RedLaser with eBay Mobile. It is great to see so much RedLaser activity happening at the show. Even the coffee cup sleeves from Starbucks have QR
Codes on them for use with the RedLaser technology…The RedLaser SCANenger Hunt

An interesting promotional activity to attract more attendees into the booth for demos and education is the RedLaser “SCANenger Hunt” that invites attendees to download the RedLaser app onto their mobile phone and then scan special QR codes located throughout the three main convention halls as they follow a QR Code scavenger hunt. Upon the successful completion of the hunt, attendees are then entered to win a free Apple MacBook Air. It took me approximately 60 minutes to complete the hunt (there are 5 clues along the way) but I think 30-40 minutes is a more realistic timeframe given that I kept stopping to say hi to folks along the way.

The PepCom Digital Experience Demos
Last night was the annual Pepcom Digital Experience. Held each January on the evening before CES opens, Digital Experience! showcases the latest innovations in consumer electronics and computers. eBay Mobile was on-hand to demonstrate a number of its apps including the RedLaser application. Here is some behind the scenes footage from the event…

eBay Ink Weekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.

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eBay Inc. at NRF 2012 – The floor plan

passportlarge2cropped
View full floorplan

At a glance: eBay Inc. at NRF 2012

Goodbye Las Vegas… Hello New York!

My time here in Las Vegas is winding down (about to head out to the Las Vegas online sellers meetup in a few minutes). I’m packing my bags and leaving one leading industry conference for another. I’ll be at the National Retail Federation 2012 from Sunday – Tuesday to cover all things eBay Inc.

eBay Ink at NRF

Sunday, January 15:
Panel Session: Mobile Payments: Making Dollars and Sense in Mobile Payments
Don Kingsborough, VP/ GM of Retail and Prepaid at PayPal
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Hall E, 1E 07/08
Overview: The mobile payments space comprises two different systems: 1) payments using the mobile network, and 2) contactless payments. Payments and the services mobile payments enable at the store level can serve as a powerful and disruptive force in the retail environment. This session reviews the latest in this rapidly evolving technology and business, and details the newest players in the mobile payments ecosystem.

Monday, January 16
Panel Session: Social Shopping: Mobility, Social Media and Personalized Services
Bob Schwartz, President, Magento
3:15 pm – 4:15 pm
Hall A, 1A 10/12
Overview: Connected devices make what was once a solitary trip to the store a more socially connected event. Smartphones don’t serve as just another marketing vehicle—they can be a platform to combine the digital and physical worlds. As shoppers go through the process of discovering new products, testing them and reflecting on their purchases, they share these thoughts with their social networks and influence perception among their peer group. This session will examine why retailers must embrace and facilitate this sharing of information, and how retail outlets need to evolve to create experiences that drive sales in-store. Retailers will learn how to integrate mobile and social media strategies into a cohesive business model that enhances marketing and merchandising.

Booths:
Check out the NRF floorplan with highlighted eBay Inc. booths.

Twitter:
I’ll be live-tweeting throughout the conference from @ebayinkblog using the #eBayatNRF hashtag.

Other key Twitter handles:@PayPal, @X_Commerce, @MiloShopping, @GSICommerce, @Magento, @bobschwartz

The Passport:
Attendees will receive a passport that they can get stamped at the 3 booths (PayPal, GSI, Milo) and if they get stamps from each of the 3 booths, they will be entered in a drawing for $1000 (3 drawings in all).

Finally, I sat down with eBay Inc. CEO, John Donahoe, at CES 2012 to talk about the eBay Inc. portfolio and how consumers are changing their shopping behaviors and how that impacts eBay’s participation in certain industry events, like the NRF:

Cheers,
RBH

[VIDEO] 5 Minutes with eBay Inc. CEO, John Donahoe

I sat down with eBay CEO, John Donahoe, this morning at CES to chat about the eBay Inc. portfolio of business and technology – and how our different solutions complement each other. We also discussed the shift in consumer behavior in both the offline and online world. Key discussion heading into our activities around NRF 2012 this coming week.

Follow @ebayinkblog and see the eBay-related discussions coming out of CES this week using #eBayatCES hashtag. You can do the same for conversations coming out of NRF 2012 using #eBayatNRF.
Cheers,
RBH

John Donahoe: “eBay Mobile GMV will surpass $8 Billion in 2012”

eBay CEO, John Donahoe, on stage at CEA Leaders in Tech dinner

It has been a busy two days here at CES 2012 with eBay Inc. speaking on a number of industry panels. This evening saw our CEO, John Donahoe, take the stage (above) to keynote the CEA Leaders in Technology Dinner (that I’m currently attending). I’ve been live-tweeting the proceedings but wanted to share some projections that John just announced. eBay is projecting 2012 global mobile gross merchandise volume (GMV) to surpass $8 billion. PayPal projects that its global mobile total payment volume (TPV) will be $7 billion in 2012.

“Mobile plays a significant role in how eBay Inc. is enabling commerce and using technology to connect consumers and provide new ways for them to shop when, where and how they want,” said Donahoe. “The success of eBay and PayPal mobile in 2011 surpassed our expectations and we’re confident that this success will carry into 2012 as more shoppers turn to the convenience of shopping and paying via mobile at the moment shopping inspiration hits.”

eBay Inc. anticipates continued growth in mobile sales and payments in 2012 as shopping on smartphones and tablet devices becomes increasingly common among shoppers around the globe. eBay’s global mobile GMV reached $5 billion in 2011, more than doubling 2010 global mobile GMV of nearly $2 billion. PayPal global mobile TPV was $4 billion in 2011.

For more on eBay’s presence at CES this week, check out my CES 2012 overview.

Be sure to follow @ebayinkblog on Twitter and follow both the #eBayatCES and #CES2012 hashtags.

Cheers!
RBH

eBay Inc. at CES 2012 – Day 1 recap

International CES 2012 kicks off

I attended two industry panels here at CES 2012 yesterday that eBay Inc. was participating in and both were focused on the incredible growth in mobile.

Mobile Payment Basics: How the Technology Works

Panelists:
David Marcus, VP/GM of Mobile for PayPal
Andrew Paradise, CEO of Aislebuyer,
Bill Gajda, Head of Mobile, VISA
Scott Nichols, Director of IPX/M-Commerce, North America Ericsson
Todd Ablowitz, President of Double Diamond Group

David Marcus, VP/GM of Mobile for PayPal CES 2012

Todd moderated the panel and the participants discussed everything from the emergence of the digital wallet to the concept of “wallet in the cloud” vs NFC (near field communications) solutions. “We see the wallet in the cloud as the best way to bridge the gap between the online and offline world,” said David Marcus. Andrew Paradise concurred, “if I lose my iPhone,” he said, “I don’t want to have to cancel all my credit cards. It would be no different than losing my wallet.” Bill Gajda was more in favor of localized solutions (NFC) but stressed that “whatever technology we end up using, it’s all going to come down to the widespread education and adoption by the individual merchants.”

It was agreed by all that we’ve been hearing about the digital wallet for quite some time now but 2012 could be the year that it truly “arrives.” PayPal’s David Marcus illustrated the growth in mobile payments by announcing that PayPal exceeded expectations for 2011, reaching $4 billion in mobile payment volume (a significant increase from the original prediction of $1.5 billion).

Planet of the Apps

Panelists:
Steve Yankovich, VP of eBay Mobile
Andrew Maltin, CEO of MEDL Mobile
Azita Arvani, Principal, Mobile and Wireless for the Arvani Group Inc.
Chris Hercik, Creative Director, Sports Illustrated Group
Jon Summers, SVP Applications and Service Infrastructure, AT&T

Planet of the Apps Panel at CES 2012

The panelists discussed trends they’d seen in mobile apps for 2011 and those that they predicted for 2012. eBay Mobile’s Steve Yankovich talked about the emergence and proliferation of QR Codes in 2011 and predicted that “apps that utilize the camera on mobile devices will be the next trend we see in 2012.”

Chris Hercik of Sports Illustrated emphasized the need for organizations to adapt and react to shifts in consumer behavior. For example, “readers of the tablet app for Sports Illustrated are now asking for good, interactive ads, rather than rejecting or being put off by them.” He also went on to say that introducing new ways of presenting existing content (digitizing Sports Illustrated for example) isn’t just an external messaging process. “There’s an internal learning curve too when evolving a long-standing, established brand into app form.”

“Everything we do is about the transaction. About connecting the buyer and seller,” said Steve Yankovich, when asked about eBay’s role in mobile transactions. “eBay is just the plumbing.”

Steve went on to say that eBay Mobile met 2011 projections for mobile sales and payments, respectively. eBay’s global mobile gross merchandise volume (GMV) reached $5 billion in 2011.

For more on eBay’s presence at CES this week, check out my CES 2012 overview.

Be sure to follow @ebayinkblog on Twitter and follow both the #eBayatCES and #CES2012 hashtags.

Cheers!
RBH

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At a glance: eBay Inc. at CES 2012

This week marks my 4-year anniversary with eBay (eBay Ink’s 4th Birthday is in 3 months) and I can honestly say 2012 promises to be the most exciting for the company since I’ve been here. If 2011 was the year that we talked about the future of commerce and put foundations in place with the execution of our mobile, social and local strategies, then 2012 should be the year we realize it. No surprise then, that my first assignment of the New Year has me heading to the Consumer Electronics Show to cover a lot of eBay’s presence there… highlighted by the keynote address of eBay Inc. CEO, John Donahoe, on Wednesday evening at the CEA Leaders in Technology Dinner.

Over the course of the next few days, I’ll be live-tweeting from CES – @ebayinkblog – using the hashtags #CES2012 / #eBayatCES. I’m hoping to capture some video content for you all, including a sit-down with John Donahoe to talk about all that we’re working on for 2012 – not only in the eBay Marketplace but for eBay Inc. overall.

eBay Ink at CES 2012:

Tuesday, January 10
Panel Session: Mobile Payment Basics: How the Technology Works
David Marcus, VP/GM of Mobile for PayPal (Founder & CEO of Zong)
10:00 – 11:00 AM
LVCC, North Hall
Overview: A wireless ecosystem promises to turn your phone into a credit card. How prevalent is this new pay-as-you-go infrastructure, and what opportunities and obstacles exist for retailers seeking to offer a mobile payment option? Learn more about the technologies, including near-field communications, driving the implementation of mobile payment.

Panel Session: Planet of the Apps
Steve Yankovich, VP of eBay Mobile
2:30 – 3:30 PM
LVCC, North Hall
Overview: The proliferation of apps has created exciting new opportunities and challenges. How can you integrate the hottest thing in mobile into your existing offerings? App developers share success stories, explore the pros and cons of free versus paid models, and reveal the secrets behind a viable and profitable app strategy.

Wednesday, January 11
Panel: How to build a strong community of customers and evangelists
Marsha Collier, eBay Ink Social Media Seller
3:20 – 3:50pm
OnStar Tweet House
Overview: Technology is easy, people are hard. Very few companies have the know-how to attract and grow a community of evangelists around their products. Top community managers will share their experiences and strategies for building a following of engaged fans.

CEA Leaders in Technology Dinner

John Donahoe keynote
6:30pm Reception, 7:30pm Dinner
Wynn Hotel, Lafitte Ballroom

Thursday, January 12
GSI Marketing Innovation Summit
John Donahoe keynote
10:30am – 11:30am
Cosmopolitan Hotel

Las Vegas eBay / Amazon eCommerce Online Seller Meet-up

Danni Ackerman, eBay Ink Social Media Seller
Outright.com guest speaking
6:30 – 9:30pm
Sunset Station Casino
Overview: Did you know that Paypal is going to be sending 1099k forms to certain eBay sellers this year? Do you know what a 1099k form is? New tax laws this year are affecting online sellers. If you’re not careful, you could be seeing an increase in what you have to pay out. But, it doesn’t have to be that way! Come learn about these changes and get tips for getting your taxes prepared with as little hassle as possible. Laura from Outright will be presenting what you need to know about how to get your taxes done. This session is intended for eBay and online sellers who want the basics without all the jargon – it’s not intended for advanced tax professionals.

Look for all our coverage of eBay at CES 2012:
http://ebayinkblog.com
@ebayinkblog
http://youtube.com/ebayink
http://flickr.com/ebayink
#eBayatCES
#CES2012

You can also check out my recap of everything that came out of last year’s eBay at CES 2011.
Cheers!
RBH

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eBay Ink Weekly Roundup – January 6 #InkRoundup

The CEO of WHERE Talks Mobile Payments
WHERE, a location based application that delivers information about the users local area was acquired by PayPal last year. Walt Doyle, CEO, said they are looking to engage consumers before they shop in stores. He predicts that will be a key hurdle in mobile payments, “if you only enforce payments without content advertising or offers, it’s simply not compelling from the acceptance side or from the consumer side,” Doyle said. [via GigaOm]

Further News
+ Cyber Monday continues to be the biggest online shopping day of the year, hitting $1.25 billion in the U.S.
+ Top e-commerce experts weigh in about significant trends from last year, and what they expect to see in 2012.
+ ForeSee’s 2011 Holiday E-Retail Satisfaction index shows online shoppers wanted more than price.

Posts From the Week
Scott Thompson to become CEO of Yahoo!

Looking Back on eBay Ink
January 5, 2011: eBay Ink #SMSellers make predictions for eCommerce in 2011. Thanks so much to all the eBay sellers who took the time to send the following answers over the holiday break. Much appreciated and I can’t wait to work with them and more in the coming year.

“What are your 2011 predictions for ecommerce, social and mobile commerce?”

In addition to addressing integration of social and mobile commerce and video’s continued growth in the ecommerce space, Cliff sees reason for concern when looking at product shipment expectations of the consumer. I would add that a recent “local” focus by online marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon will also factor into the way online sellers offer products to consumers over the coming months…

Cliff Aliperti (@IEphemera)
“Nothing earth-shattering. Further growth and integration with an edge toward established brands such as eBay and Facebook. Video will continue to grow in importance. The greatest concern is in shipping physical goods, an area falling outside of our control where I believe continued price increases combined with little increase in service and an increased customer demand for instant satisfaction spells potential trouble.”

John Lawson is a bit like a shark and I mean this as a wholehearted compliment. Sharks need to keep moving or they cease to exist. I get the impression that he’s so incredibly focused on following his own advice and business mantra that when an email from me pops up in his inbox it simply distracts him from continuing to move forward (I’ll keep them to a minimum in 2011). As such, he takes a business-as-usual look at the year ahead (just keep moving)…

John Lawson (@ColderICE)
“Prepare for the increase of opportunity and competition:
** eCommerce (i.e. making sales via the web) will rise rapidly in 2011 and with it your opportunity to capitalize on the increase.
** With the increase of web consumers will come an equal increase in competition.
** Shore up your current customer base and use that information to market to other growth prospects.”

Marlene breaks down the question into three parts… because it was, after all, a three part question. I’d love to dig deeper on the “search by reviews” point she makes (almost like a Yelp! for eCommerce) and partner that with the personalization aspects and you have a key trend for the future…

Marlene Gavens (@TheSavvySeller)
“** eCommerce = “ratings and reviews” will become the way to search for items vs. search engine results or price.
** Social commerce = it will become more personalized (i.e. asking for friends’ opinions during the purchase process).
** Mobile commerce = this will be the year that there’s an increased awareness and use of QR codes.”

Danna and eBetsy both take the viewpoint that we’re just on the verge of something much bigger; that until now, we’ve simply been scratching the surface. I agree that there is lots to be excited about over the next 12-24 months…

Betsie Bolger (@eBetsy)
“I see mobile ecommerce continuing to boom, with new technology like augmented reality for eBay Classifieds coming down the development pipeline to astonish and amaze us. As for social ecommerce, given eBay’s investment in brands4friends and the ongoing rise of Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites, I have to believe that there’s more to come in that area as well. All in all, an exciting ride ahead for ecommerce merchants overall!”

Danna Crawford (@PowerSellingMom)

“More mobile apps will be available helping to make life easier as a shopper and an online seller. I predict social sites will continue to grow keeping up with the mobile momentum as it sets the pace for an amazing future. I feel we are just babes in learning!”

Finally, Hillary echoes some of the same sentiments of John and Marlene around more and more business coming online and the potential positives and negatives associated with it…

Hillary DePiano @hillarydepiano)
“While the down economy may have sped up the process, I really think 2011 will be bad news for brick and mortar stores as the last holdouts switch to shopping online. While this may seem like good news for us e-sellers, it will mean a lot more crowded marketplace and one filled with inexperienced sellers that may cause us in the old guard problems. As for social and mobile commerce, to me they both go hand in hand with traditional ecommerce and should only continue to rise over the course of the year.”

Lots to ponder as we start to tackle the year head-on. What are your thoughts? Do you agree with some of the above? What else do you see coming to the forefront in eCommerce over the next 12 months?

eBay Ink Weekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.

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