eBay Brings Local Inventory Online

Local product integration provides increased choice for shoppers; small retailers’ offline inventory now visible online

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At the Web 2.0 Expo, a pre-eminent technology conference, eBay today unveiled the first major integration of local inventory onto eBay.com. With local inventory powered by Milo, the leading local shopping engine that eBay acquired last year, eBay.com now offers consumers a one-stop destination for deals, both online and in stores nearby.

“eBay is uniquely positioned to help retailers, large and small, compete globally in new ways and to help consumers shop for whatever they want – anytime, anywhere”

The new features allow shoppers to check product and merchandise availability at local retailers directly through a near-real-time search on eBay.com. Through Milo integration, consumers have even more choice now, with access to millions of products from approximately 50,000 stores across all 50 states. In addition, eBay is providing retailers who use QuickBooks a way to easily upload their inventory onto Milo and eBay through a new inventory management plug-in.

“eBay is uniquely positioned to help retailers, large and small, compete globally in new ways and to help consumers shop for whatever they want – anytime, anywhere,” said Dane Glasgow, vice president, global product management, eBay. “By integrating Milo search into eBay.com, we are making it easier and more convenient for our customers to find great deals, whether they’re shopping online or around the corner. We’re also exposing the inventory of small entrepreneurs – who may be invisible on the web right now – to more than 94 million active users of the eBay marketplace. Our local capabilities are enabling a new kind of commerce, connecting eBay shoppers to local merchants.”

By opting in, eBay shoppers can now use a new local shopping tab to check a product's local, or in-store, availability directly from the eBay search results page. In addition, product pages for MP3 players and GPS devices now also include a local shopping tab so shoppers can find the exact product they want, whether it's online e at a local retailer near them.

To connect small retailers and local shoppers like never before, eBay is also introducing new software from Milo that helps small- to mid-size retailers easily integrate their offline merchandise onto Milo and eBay. Beginning with retailers who use QuickBooks point-of-sale systems, this software will allow independent retailers to upload their local inventory through a one-time, simple installation and will automatically share the real-time availability of their products with eBay’s 94 million active users globally, whether on eBay.com, eBay’s RedLaser mobile barcode-scanning application, or Milo’s affiliate partner sites. Retailers can sign up for the program here.

Additional information about the new features is available at: www.ebay.com/local

About eBay Inc.

Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) connects hundreds of millions of buyers and sellers globally through eBay, the world's largest online marketplace, and PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to securely, easily and quickly send and receive online payments. We also reach millions through specialized marketplaces such as StubHub, the world's largest ticket marketplace, and eBay Classifieds sites, which together have a presence in more than 1,000 cities around the world. For more information about the company and our global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.