eBay gets personal

MANILA, Philippines - Technology is evolving shopping into previously unimaginable rituals. From long walks in malls, the online revolution allowed us the freedom to shop on demand from virtually anywhere.

For sure, the beloved practice of window-shopping endures, but our fingers, not feet, do much of the work.

Daniel Feiler, eBay director of communications for the Asia-Pacific, surely thinks so. Since its founding in 1995, the California-headquartered multibillion-dollar company has been about connecting “passionate” buyers and sellers around the world.

“That has not changed, and that’s not going to change. But we have evolved from being a place where you go to search to one that inspires, engages, and delights,” Feiler says. Filipinos are among the first in Asia to sample just what the refreshed online shopping portal is all about as the changes go online at eBay.ph.

For one thing, the landing page layout is cleaner and more contemporary; even the company logo sports a lighter look. But there’s nothing superficial about the rest of the more significant rehashes. For instance, the ranking relevance has been enhanced to be, well, more relevant to the user. “There’s also no need to scroll down for more critical information,” Feiler says.

More importantly, eBay uses sophisticated algorithms to cater more distinctly and accurately to the preferences of the consumer. “Online shopping has always been about searching, but searching and browsing are two completely different options to reach the same goal,” he continues. The former denotes a more purposive act, while browsing enables the user to see other items of relevance to widen choices with relevant products.

This more personalized selection ability is a large part of what drives the new eBay, particularly with its Feed function that lists a range of goods that are relevant, important or of interest to the user.

“What you put in is what you get out,” Feiler says of the feature. Logically, the more stuff you search for, the more eBay learns about you and your interests. Thus, the user effectively ceases to be a passive recipient of a glut of pitches that mean nothing to him or her but, rather, gets a tailored experience. eBay says that Feed “creates the experience of an online personal shopper by matching customer interest with eBay’s global inventory.”

Feiler insists: “Every moment of inspiration must be shoppable.”

There surely have been so many moments of inspiration for eBay’s 116 million active users worldwide, serviced by some 25 million sellers peddling 400 million products on the catalog. Twenty percent of transactions are cross-border — meaning the goods are sourced from outside the buyers’ countries.

Feiler also wants to correct the notion that eBay is merely a marketplace or auction house for used goods. “Seventy percent of products here are brand new,” he maintains, and guesses that rate to be higher in the Philippines because “Filipinos primarily want to buy new stuff online. Auctions comprise a minority of the business.”

eBay, he continues, is keeping an eye on the Philippines where it is “a very exciting time for e-commerce.” Last year, the country ranked seventh among the fastest-growing online markets.

“Filipinos spent P40 million to P50 million online — 40 percent up on the previous year,” Feiler shares.

Today’s active online shopping, he posits, is being spurred by the emergence and wider use of smartphones, which have “changed the game.” Mobile commerce is indeed paving the way for many opportunities banking on speed and immediacy. Since its launch in September 2008, eBay’s mobile application has been downloaded an astounding 162 million times.

In fact, “many people are having their first Internet experience on a smartphone, not a fixed-line device,” adds Feiler, insisting that location is no longer the best competitive advantage; access to consumers is.

“The best seamless platforms will trump the best real estate because consumers are in control,” he declares. “We believe that the 10 trillion global retail market will be transformed over the next few years, and consumers worldwide will experience unprecedented convenience and connection to the things they need and love.”

When asked by The STAR if traditional physical retailers or sellers in malls will forever be mired in competition and hostilities with the virtual, Feiler says, “The game is changing fast. You have to adapt if you want to survive. There’s no reason why the online should cannibalize the offline… technology is blending the best of both domains.”

The eBay executive concludes that the ultimate winner is the consumer, who is afforded “more selections, more convenience and more enjoyable experiences defined by what’s important in their lives.”

Hard to argue with that.