Another sign that ecommerce sites are tapping into all things local to augment existing services, eBay has introduced GiftsNearby – giftsnearby.ebay.com – the first integration of Milo’s local inventory availability onto eBay. It’s a new way for last-minute shoppers to simplify their final shopping sprees by showing them gift options available for pick-up at local retailers. In addition to the Milo integration, it also signals a first-of-its-kind agreement with Best Buy that allows shoppers to reserve / purchase a gift on GiftsNearby from a local Best Buy store and pick it up at their convenience (and earn eBay Bucks in the process).
Available specifically for the homestretch of holiday gifting, GiftsNearby shows shoppers a selection of popular holiday gift options ranging from electronics and other gadgets to home appliances and toys that are available at local retailers in or near their zip code. Only items that are in stock at a selection of more than 25 trusted retailers are offered as gift options, ensuring last-minute Santas can fly out to pick up exactly what they want and know it will be there… For Santas who have run out of time to comparison-shop, GiftsNearby shows local retail prices for each item, directions to the closest store with inventory availability, and an option to browse eBay for the gift.
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Thanks To Milo, eBay Goes Local With Product Inventory Tool GiftsNearby
For eBay, Milo represents a way to break into the local shopping market. Forrester estimates that online research to offline buying is a $917 billion market that will eventually reach $1.3 trillion and account for nearly 50% of total retail sales by 2013. [TechCrunch]
eBay Sends Shoppers to Offline Stores
This is not the first time eBay has funneled shoppers on its marketplace to other retailers. In the past, it experimented with mixing results from its comparison shopping engine, Shopping.com, with eBay.com’s search listings for certain products… [NY Times Bits]
