More than a few experts believe this holiday season will be brutal on the retail sector, and as a result, just about every company that connects with consumers is gearing up for battle. Today, eBay unveiled its plan of attack, and it’s a multipronged doozy.
At least three separate initiatives are focused on getting people to visit eBay early and often. First, starting November 3rd and running for 45 days, there will be a “Daily Deal” promotion. Richard Brewer-Hay describes it on the eBay Ink blog by writing, “Each day a different product . . . will be available at a fixed-price and deep discount off MSRP with free shipping.”
Then, during the same period, a “Bid From $1” auction series will apply the concept of low starting bids and free shipping to all sorts of electronics. The “$1 Holiday Doorbuster” promotion will run for a shorter time – November 24th to December 8th – but is still sure to draw crowds, with items being sold at low, fixed prices.
eBay’s emphasizing free shipping, too, and has promised to send millions of buyers 10 percent off coupons. Furthermore, the Microsoft Live Search cashback program is getting a nudge.
So there you have it: eBay’s plan to beat a recession. Of course, the Dow rocketed up 10.88 percent today, and if the economy continues to recover at this rate, eBay may have to worry more about people crashing its site as they try to spend all sorts of money.
