eBay is taking the fight to Amazon with the launch of its Sales Day on July 17.
The day will fall on the second day of Amazon’s Prime Day event and offers deals, says eBay, that don’t come with a membership fee.
Amazon Prime Day sales are exclusive to members of its Prime membership scheme, which costs £7.99 a month to join.
eBay says its new Best Price Guarantee means that if shoppers find a product for less on a competing website, eBay will give 110% of the price difference for eligible deals and top products.
“Summer is a time to enjoy the things you love – as the temperatures heat up, so do our deals,” said Scott Cutler, eBay’s senior vice president, Americas. “eBay has everything you need this season and no-one else an match eBay’s variety and value, which fuel our shoppers’ passions with deep discounts on the latest must-have items.”
eBay is competing at scale, with 171m active buyers worldwide, and 1.1bn live listings on eBay. It says that 80% of all the merchandise sold on eBay are new, and that 88% are at Buy it Now prices, with no bidding necessary.
Commenting on the news, Hugh Fletcher, global head of consultancy and innovation at Salmon, said: “eBay’s new ‘Sales Day’ is a perfect riposte to Amazon Prime Day. This is the latest example we’re seeing of retailers and marketplaces creating new retail ‘peak’ days to grab a share of the market which Amazon has led the way in for so long. The key differentiator here, intended as a direct threat to Amazon’s hegemony, is the eBay ‘Sales Day’ is open to everyone and not just those with a subscription such as Prime. The message is clear: Amazon won’t be allowed to have its own way forever, and eBay’s lack of exclusivity could be a huge advantage for the marketplace.
“The news comes as Amazon’s aura of invincibility is being eroded; new threats to Amazon’s streaming service and grocery plays – including Tesco’s new ’shop and go’ technology trial recently – shows retailers are beginning to mount a fightback. As eBay announces its own ‘peak’ day, we expect to see other big players in this space do the same. Those that don’t move early will be left behind in what could prove to be a fascinating summer sales contest for years to come.”
Image courtesy of eBay
