Half.com adds product categories in a bid to become more like a retailer
Half.com, a dvision of auction site eBay.com, today introduced hundreds of new categories for consumers and businesses to buy and sell new, overstocked, remaindered and used products in four areas: consumer electronics, computer equipment, sporting goods and trading cards. This move expands Half.com`s marketplace beyond books, music, movies and video games. The company says it is a major step forward in eBay`s plans to add fixed-price offerings to its vibrant trading community.
With the addition of these categories, Half.com`s item
listings increased to more than 15 million, up from 10 million three
months ago. The product categories now offered on Half.com account for 47% of all projected Internet sales in 2001, according to Jupiter Research. The
company will continue to add categories throughout the year.
"This is a very important step for eBay," said Meg Whitman, eBay`s
president and CEO. "Half.com is already a leader in its market and this move
should only increase Half`s value to consumers. Fixed-price trading is
quickly becoming an important part of eBay`s thriving global marketplace."
Half.com also is offering the following features:
-- Power Shopper and Product Advisor, new search capabilities that help
shoppers find what they want faster;
-- Product Recommendations, offering shoppers more product selection and
purchasing options;
-- Buyer/Seller Communication, enabling shoppers to directly ask sellers
questions before they buy a product;
-- Direct Deposit, allowing sellers to receive their money faster through
electronic funds transfer; and
-- Expanded Buyer Protection Policies, accommodating the higher value of
many of the items sold in the new categories.
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