'ebay Social Shopping Experience' pop-up shop to open in London

Online shopping marketplace Ebay is to launch a new social media pop-up store in central London this Friday.

The Ebay Social Shopping Experience will open for three days until Sunday 2 December in London’s Covent Garden. The pop-up will bring together product recommendations from social networks such as Facebook and Twitter with Ebay’s own search data.

With Ebay predicting that its busiest online shopping day will be Sunday 2 December, visitors to the store will be able to see a live feed of what consumers are recommending for gifts and products this Christmas from sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Shoppers will also be able to browse and shop for products on Ebay using their smartphones or the tablets provided in store.

The shopper experience will be enhanced by use of augmented reality and 3D technologies to help bring the products to life. In addition, Ebay will be offering advice on gift buying from virtual personal shoppers via Facebook.

Research commissioned by Ebay has shown that 47% of Brits now turn to friends for help when making shopping decisions, including via social media channels. In addition, almost quarter of people said they plan to do their Christmas shopping via smartphones and tablets this year, which shows that the relationship between social media and mobile shopping is becoming stronger.

Carrie Bienkowski, Ebay's head of buyer experience, said: “By pairing views of social communities with eBay’s own vast selection of top Christmas gifts and mobile expertise we hope to give shoppers lots of inspiration and put a little bit of fun into Christmas shopping.

“Mobile technology is a catalyst for retail growth and is changing the way we shop. Consumers now carry a global showroom in their pocket and are increasingly as inclined to seek recommendations online and shop mobile as visit the high street. At eBay we expect 2012 to be our most successful mobile Christmas ever with around 30% of the most popular Christmas products being brought through a smartphone.”

Ebay’s research also shows augmented reality, image recognition and 3D technologies could provide the UK retail industry with a potential boost of £2.4 billion by 2014.

Source : The Retail Bulletin
www.retailbulletin.com