Chic at a Click: eBay Fashions

Fashion buying websites are taking over the fashion industry quickly and quite stylishly. Especially with a growing population of consumers who are, "using the Internet to find the lowest price," it is important for designers to look to sites like EBay as outlets to sells their merchandise. One of the biggest plusses to these fashion e-commerce sites is that these fashion obsessors are able to get their hands on designer pieces at a much faster pace then if they were to wait for stores to start selling these items. I think that it is especially important for designers to consider partnering up with mega fashion selling sites like EBay and Amazon because not only are more customers shopping online, but sites like these have an extremely large demographic and rest many more customers then say a store front. With EBay bringing in more than $1.3 billion on sales alone, it should be obvious why this is a step designers should take. -Kaitlin

As designers and retailers have continued to explore options to increase sales and exposure, it is not a surprise that one avenue has been through eBay, a mega online shopping and auction website. In the article, Chick at a Click: eBay Fashions a Deal with Designers, the success of eBay as a fashion website is discussed. At the time this article was written, eBay ranked as the number one fashion website “in terms of unique visitors and page views” (p.506). By incorporating new fashion pieces by having direct relationships with designers, eBay gives consumers the opportunity to own items more quickly than at a traditional retail stores. Consumers are also able to purchase unique items, that my never make it to a store and at the other end of the spectrum, they may be able to purchase a favorite piece that is older and may no longer be in stores. Having these different options gives designers, consumers and eBay as a whole, a chance to make additional profits, find awesome deals and participate in fashion in a new way. The above image's are from eBay's Holiday Collective campaign for this season.  -Rachael

eBay, the online-auction powerhouse, hold quite a name for itself. While being such a powerhouse, it still encounters some problems, one of these main problems being fraud. Although the existence of counterfeit fashion goods sold on eBay, has been a concern, eBay is still hasn't been deemed liable in courts for the sale of fakes. The company says it is doing its best to prevent fraud by removing listings for questionable items, when they are reported by consumers. In many cases, buyers who unknowingly buy counterfeit goods can get reimbursed for as much as $175 through an eBay insurance program. -Amanda





Ebay as a primary fashion source? Who would have thought. According to the article, "Chic at a Click: eBay Fashions a Deal with Designers," the online auction market has become a hot-spot for goods-seeking fashionistas. Once eBay realized its popularity and high ranking among consumers, they started to develop a plan to deal directly with designers. This is a smart move with great benefits for all parties involved, including eBay, designers, and consumers. Ebay gets a share of the profit the designers make from each piece sold, and in turn, designers are getting a much higher share with eBay than if they sell their collections to a department store. For the eBay shopper, products are offered online months before other stores receive their shipment. Ebay is promoting their unique apprroach to online shopping with special events and advertisements in high-fashion magazines, claiming "department stores don't have a department just for you" (p 507). This is another strong point within this business, shoppers can personalize their accounts and find clothing that fits their body and their taste! -Mallory