eBay UK reached an impressive milestone today when it celebrated its tenth aniversary and paid tribute to the
the millions of users who have bought and sold on one of the UK's most popular sites.
Love it or hate it eBay has over the past ten years changed the way people in the UK shop. From the first ever
eBay.co.uk sale (a 3-track CD from German rockers The Scorpions sold for £2.89), the eBay.co.uk site has become
a household name.
For UK businesses its importance cannot be underestimated with over 123,000 trading regularly on it.
Over 170 of those now turn over a million pounds and their listings contribute to the 17 million live listings on
the site. With over 17 million unique visitors per month (Nielsen / Netratings, June 2009) it is clear that it's
popularity is difficult to rival.
Commenting on the achievement Mark Lewis, MD of eBay in the UK says: “eBay.co.uk has come a long way in the past ten years.
From our beginnings as an auction site, over half the items for sale today are available to ‘Buy Now’. Likewise, whilst eBay.co.uk
was once dominated by second hand items, the fastest growth is in sales of new products at knock-down prices. And, these days,
you’re just as likely to buy from a business as a private seller, with an increasing number of entrepreneurs and established retail
brands like Schuh, Littlewoods and Argos all selling on eBay.co.uk.”
Lewis continues: “Ten years on, we might have fallen out of love with Pokemon and perhaps The Scorpions no longer have the appeal of yesteryear.
However, one thing remains - eBay.co.uk is still the favourite platform for British shoppers looking for great value and unrivalled choice, to earn
some extra money on the side or to make their entrepreneurial dreams come true.”
5 eBay UK Quick Facts:
- 964 million items sold.
- A handbag sells every 25 seconds.
- In 2008, the value of sales exceeded the GDP of 68 countries.
- An estimated 178,000 people earn a primary or secondary living on it.
- eBay is the fourth most searched-for term on Google.
Visit eBay UK to find out more...
Posted: Thurs July 30 20:30 GMT
