Online shopping emporium eBay is about to get just a tiny bit more like Amazon with the news that it’s introducing its very own branded supplies store — including boxes, tape, envelopes, and more.
Though eBay and Amazon started out as very different propositions in the online world, the two companies have met somewhere in the middle — pretty much anyone can now sell whatever they like through either store. But although you can now sell old or new items on eBay, for many people the site is perhaps still synonymous with “online auction” and “second-hand.” This is likely one of the reasons eBay is looking to introduce some of its own branding into the mix. The idea is to build consistency and brand recognition, which will encourage people to select eBay’s own packaging from the myriad options out there.
But goods that arrive at your house encased in Amazon-branded packaging have normally been dispatched or fulfilled directly by Amazon in some way. With eBay, anyone will be able to buy the boxes in bulk and use them to ship anything from second-hand sneakers to Star Wars figurines.
While it could be argued that this will lead to some confusion among less experienced buyers, insofar as the goods contained within the boxes aren’t sold or sent by eBay itself, the company maintains that sellers have repeatedly requested this option.
“We’re not only excited to introduce eBay branded shipping supplies to our customers, but to do so in a cost-effective, eco-friendly and convenient manner that satisfies the needs of our sellers,” said Manish Joneja, head of North America shipping business for eBay, in a blog post.
The eBay-branded supplies store will be operated by a licensed third-party company, and it will initially offer boxes in 10 different size, along with air jacket bubble mailers, poly jacket mailers, and tape.
