“This innovative rewards program reflects the future of retail and the convenient, seamless shopping experience consumers are looking for,” said eBay Inc. President and CEO John Donahoe.

This partnership reflects eBay Inc.’s commitment to enabling commerce—partnering with brands, retailers and sellers of all sizes to market their inventory and empowering consumers to shop their channel of choice, whether it’s “clicks” online or “bricks” in their local neighborhoods.

eBay Holiday Rewards Program

• - Today Friday, December 16 at 6:00AM ET through Monday, December 19 at 11:59PM ET
• - Shop online at Toys“R”Us or Babies“R”Us on eBay, ToysRUs.com, BabiesRUs.com, Dicks SportingGoods.com or Aeropostale.com
• - Spend $100 or more with any participating retailer and check out with PayPal
• - Receive a coupon via email for $10 off your in-store purchase
• - Redeem coupon at a local retail store, of the same brand, through December

For the last-minute shoppers out there, you can easily find – and buy – the gifts you want at a local retail store through RedLaser. Users of the app can scan or search top toys, check availability at the nearest Toys“R”Us retail location and purchase the item through PayPal, right from the palm of your hand. Shoppers can conveniently pick up their gifts in-store that same day.

Make sure to come back here to the blog and tell us about your online and in-store shopping experience this holiday season.

Cheers,
RBH

What does that actually mean? Checkout is obviously a key part of shopping online – we all want an effective, secure, simple method for making our purchases. A consistent checkout experience helps buyers complete their purchases in confidence. And for sellers, one consistent checkout experience – with business functionality like payment processing and tax collection – can help streamline business operations.

While most eBay sellers already use eBay Checkout in its current form, historically we haven’t offered certain checkout functionality that other sellers need. So Certified third-party providers like ChannelAdvisor, Auctiva, Vendio, Infopia and Kyozou have offered checkout with their solutions packages to fill this gap.

Between now and next June, eBay Checkout will be updated with more credit card/debit card processing services, better shipping support and an advanced sales tax calculator, among other things, and we will continue to work closely with third-party providers to transition their members to eBay Checkout. Plus we’ll remain close with them on the other valuable services they offer eBay sellers.

A single, familiar checkout experience is key to reducing confusion and improving how people shop on eBay. We’ve been working with sellers and providers for some time and will continue to do so for a seamless transition next year.

We’d be happy to answer your questions. Feel free to leave comments here on Ink blog or via Twitter at @ebayinkblog and @ebay_andy.

Cheers!
Andy

With the eBay application for Android, you can search, buy, pay, and check status of your eBay activity no matter where you are. The app will alert you about your auctions, so you never miss the opportunity to get that hard-to-find item! The app also features convenient voice-enabled search, status updates for sellers, and the ability to leave feedback. Whether it’s finding that special collectible, checking the status of your auctions, or paying with PayPal, eBay is open for business anytime, anywhere on your Android enabled phone.

My eBay for Android:

eBay Item View for Android:

From what I can tell visiting the Android Market website, the app is not yet available via their site, but I’ve been assured by Android users that the app is available directly from devices. I’ll update this post as I get new information.

Cheers,
RBH

Contest participants register at diamonds.ebay.com, and customize and upload their unique ring design in three simple steps. Through the Share function, which houses more than 50 social media channels including Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and MySpace, entrants are able to spread the news about their gems and encourage voting, since the winner of “Build Your Bling” will be determined by public poll. America is asked to vote on its favorite sparkler, with the designer of the most popular ring winning their customized carat. Voting is open for two weeks, culminating February 19.

The contest kicked off earlier this week and with almost 7,000 submissions already entered to the “American Idol” of engagement rings at http://www.diamonds.ebay.com, currently the most popular cuts are Cushion, Round and Princess.

You can find out more about the contest by checking out the press release HERE.

Cheers,
RBH

The eight-piece limited-edition collection is made from imported Italian fabrics, and bears Rodriguez’s signature streamlined look and sophisticated color blocking created in a red, black and white color palette. The collection will be offered at accessible, fixed price points ranging from $65 – $350, in sizes 0 to 14, or extra small to large, and available for purchase exclusively through the Narciso Rodriguez eBay Store.

Stop laughing. Although my traditional dress includes multi-colored sneakers and overly, almost trying-to-hard-to-be-funny T-shirts, I’m still going to check this out when it goes live on Monday. Maybe I can score some points with Allie if I can find something cool for my wife post-Valentine’s day.

“I am extremely excited by the possibilities that this new online sales channel brings to my business long term,” says Rodriguez. “For me it’s always been about dressing many women of all ages, all types, all sizes, and this special collection on eBay is a unique opportunity to reach a broad global audience.”

The capsule collection, designed for the spring/summer season, includes a Denim Jacket; Denim Slim Skirt; Sleeveless Matte Jersey Dress with asymmetrical seam detail; Cap Sleeve Matte Jersey Dress with shoulder drape detail; Scoop Neck Matte Jersey Dress with a three quarter sleeve and exposed back zipper; Jersey Top with asymmetrical seam detail; Python Printed T-Shirt; and water-resistant Reversible Trench with a multi-stitch self-belt. Additionally, the designer’s canvas and grosgrain espadrilles will be sold through the Narciso Rodriguez eBay Store.

New Twitter Feed: @eBay_Fashion
To join the conversation follow @eBay_Fashion, eBay’s newly launched home for fashion finds, tips and trends on Twitter, at http://www.twitter.com/ebay_fashion.

Cheers,
RBH

This new car option, powered by online auto-buying platform Zag, allows franchise dealers to target a highly-qualified group of local consumers ready to purchase a new vehicle in a no-haggle environment. Through this new car offering, more than 2,600 certified Zag dealers join the eBay Motors family. With the addition of this offering, eBay Motors modifies its homepage to offer shoppers the option to either choose new cars or used cars.

I just played around with the new interface and it’s incredibly intuitive and easy-to-use. I was able to look for both used and new cars – breaking down to color, make, model, etc. – in less than a minute.

The news is good for dealers too because they can now choose from a number of new car selling options including auction, fixed price, best offer or an online classified ad to drive leads.

Currently, new cars make up about 13% of all vehicles sold on eBay Motors.

You can read the full press release here.

Cheers,
RBH

Given the opportunity to spend some time with the entire team behind the eBay Garden project, I thought it would be great to capture some candid conversations about their time together, the project they’ve been working on, and what it means for them to be working at eBay. What I got was an incredibly refreshing, candid take on team project work here at eBay. Enjoy!

The eBay Garden team talks about their working environment, the Agile process and the “Negativity Chair”…

The eBay Garden team discuss technical innovation at eBay and what it means to work here…

Cheers!
RBH

“We really wanted to give users a better way to become involved in how we roll things out to the site,” said Josh Ramirez, senior product manager, eBay’s Search Applications. “Because of the way our marketplace is designed, one small site change can have a cascading effect on our buyer and seller experience. The Garden by eBay is a fun way to get the community involved in making decisions that may impact how they buy and sell on eBay.”

The Garden idea stemmed primarily from the search team wanting to solicit user input on a new search experience. Rather than roll it out site-wide or go with the standard A/B testing, the team wanted to partner with users early on in the development process to deliver an experience that best meets the community’s needs. The team believes that allowing eBay members to opt in to experiment with the new experience at this stage of development will help them innovate faster and more efficiently.

When I first heard about the project and asked to cover it for eBay Ink, I was incredibly enthusiastic to learn that I was going to be able to sit down with the entire eBay Garden team to learn more about it. You can meet the team in this video I put together here…

“The new Garden by eBay represents a new collaborative conversation with the eBay community — a chance to listen to their thoughts on upcoming features, and to bring them closer to our own innovation process,” said Christopher Payne, eBay vice president, Search. “By seeding the Garden with streamlined search, we’re asking for the community’s input on improving one of the most important areas of eBay.com.”

One of the new features that the community members will be able to try out is a new “streamlined search” experience intended to make it easier to browse and view search results. This new search feature will let users compare auction and Buy It Now listings side-by-side, quickly refine results based on items returned in a result set and return to the search box without having to scroll up to the header. As Garden participants provide feedback on the experience, the features will grow into an improved experience — before it goes live to eBay.com.

Here, the team talks about why they’re excited about the project and what it means for eBay both internally and externally…

I’ll have more behind-the-scene video conversations with the eBay Garden Team in future posts but for now, please check out the Garden by eBay today at http://pages.ebay.com/garden.

You can also read more about the project at New York Times blog, Bits.

Cheers!
RBH

eBay: On Location, which kicks off March 19-20 in Atlanta, will bring small-business and part-time eBay sellers together to network and gain practical knowledge about building and growing their businesses on eBay.

Event attendees will hear from national speakers, as well as eBay experts, on timely business topics and will participate in a series of classes designed to help sellers be more successful on eBay. After Atlanta, the event will travel to three other U.S. cities: Dallas (May 7-8); Chicago (July 9-10); and San Jose (Sept. 1-2).

“eBay sellers are creative entrepreneurs who understand that eBay’s global reach and dynamic marketplace offer the ideal setting to start and build a business online,” said Lorrie Norrington, president of eBay Marketplaces. “We invite our sellers to eBay: On Location to connect with each other and to take the next step in making their eBay businesses even more successful.”

Here is a Q&A with Dinesh Lathi, vice president, Buyer and Seller Experience, to learn more about the new program:

Is eBay: On Location a replacement for eBay Live!?
No, eBay: On Location is a brand-new program geared toward a specific type of eBay seller: those who sell on eBay part-time, and those who have set up small businesses on eBay and earn a significant portion of their incomes from their eBay sales. The goal is to immerse these sellers in a full-day’s worth of classes designed to help them be even more successful selling on eBay.

During the past year, many sellers have told us that although eBay Live! was a terrific way to learn and network, they would enjoy more intimate, local events that provide greater opportunities for dialogue and a higher level of interaction with each other and with eBay team members. eBay: On Location gives us the chance to connect with our sellers on this more personal level.

Who is eBay: On Location targeted at?
The event is designed for eBay sellers who fall into two categories:
• Part-time eBay sellers who want to earn extra income, who list regularly and who generally want to find new opportunities on eBay.
• And, small-business sellers who earn a significant percentage of their income from eBay and are looking to expand to new channels and gain access to buyers.

Where can people learn more about registering for the event and curriculum?
We have a dedicated Web site where sellers can register: http://www.ebayonlocationevents.com view the curriculum, speaker bios and course information.

Later, we’ll load videos, photos and content from the events to the Web site, and eBay: On Location social media channels will follow the events in each city. In addition, sellers can connect with one another through various message boards and social networks.

Attendees may register for various class sessions, including the following:

*** “Top Seller Secrets”: eBay Top-rated sellers reveal their secrets and tips for taking an online business to the next level.
*** “Productivity Power”: Experts share their advice on streamlining and managing a business to boost sales and reduce costs.
*** “I Just Tweetered on FaceSpace”: Sellers make sense of new online tools like Twitter, Facebook and blogger engagement to creatively market and increase sales for their businesses on eBay.

To learn more about eBay: On Location, and to register for an event, visit the official site.

Cheers,
RBH

RecycleBank rewards people for positive green actions (currently the recycling of trash and electronics) and seeks to create a greener economy with key partners across the U.S. In just five years, the model has proven its success; on average, recycling volumes increase two-to-five times and members across the country earn hundreds of dollars in reward value. RecycleBank has programs in hundreds of cities around the country, reaching over one million consumers.

By teaming up with eBay, the RecycleBank program brings consumers online, offering 50 RecycleBank Points for joining eBay’s Green Team. Additionally, RecycleBank members will be able to use their RecycleBank Points for discounts on eBay purchases.

“RecycleBank has always been rewarding more responsible environmental behavior like recycling for households across America. Working with eBay on an initiative to promote reuse and reward you for that behavior becomes a natural progression of our business,” said Morley Ivers, Chief Rewards Officer, at RecycleBank. “Together, we look forward to amassing a movement of people committed to reusing and recycling.”

I asked Morley if he would take part in our series of “5 Minutes with…” features here on Ink and he obliged. Here you go…

Full Name: Morley Ivers
Nickname: RED (the term was coined by Suze Orman)
Official Title: Chief Rewards Officer (a title only a mother could love)
What You Really Do: I manage a team of very smart and passionate people who execute the strategy, operations, partnership development and account management for RecycleBank – the world’s premier green loyalty program that motivates consumers to recycle and to take environmentally preferred actions
Education/Schooling: I studied business at The Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario in Canada
Interests: Spending quality time with my wife and son; great food, travel and maximizing the utility of my loyalty points portfolio
Favorite Quote: “Good, Fast or Cheap….pick two”
Most memorable eBay experience: Snagging first row tickets to a Dave Matthews Band Concert from a seller in Boston who used his loyalty access with DMB to get seats to the concert in Toronto
Most recent eBay purchase/sale: A water filter for my fridge
Favorite Albums: Counting Crows, Dave Matthews Band, Bob Marley, Nickleback
Favorite Movies: The Bourne Series
What You Wanted to Be Growing Up: An entrepreneur that changed the world

Fill in the blanks:
I should have got more sleep yesterday
I wish that I had more hours in the day
The first thing I do when I get to work is redeem my Odwalla RecycleBank Reward for an OJ

Also, I saw that eBay commissioned proprietary research last month that measured the carbon savings of specific items available on eBay.com and got some neat little facts back:

• Choosing a new-to-you blender saves 95% of the CO2 needed to produce a new one
• Selecting a refurbished smart phone saves the energy equivalent of driving 186 miles
• Choosing a classic, previously loved watch saves the energy equivalent of 39 days of refrigerator use

“Thousands of eBay sellers have built successful businesses by recycling, reusing and re-selling products that already exists and may otherwise have ended up in landfills,” said Amy Skoczlas Cole, Director of the eBay Green Team. “Our relationship with RecycleBank offers an innovative way to encourage and reward green-conscious consumers who are looking for more sustainable ways to shop.”

Cheers,
RBH