eBay has acquired a mobile app meant to help buyers find the hottest bargains online, but the new tool can also help sellers look up pricing trends, eBay announced Wednesday.
The app, called RedLaser, helps users find the best deals by scanning a product's barcode and returning the lowest-priced listings for that item. Previously, the app was for sale at the Apple store, but now eBay says it will now make it free to download. eBay plans to add more than 200 million eBay listings and inventory from 7,000 sellers on Shopping.com to the app, giving users more pricing comparisons.
eBay will also integrate RedLaser's technology into its mobile apps for eBay Marketplaces, eBay Selling—which will be the first app to use RedLaser's technology—StubHub and Shopping.com. This will give shoppers on these sites a quick way to find bargains, and it will give sellers another tool to create listings quickly by allowing them to access pricing trends and item details from eBay's catalog.
eBay's acquisition of the RedLaser app, which has been downloaded 2 million times since its release, "builds on eBay Inc.'s momentum and innovation in mobile commerce," the company notes.
eBay predicts the use of mobile shopping apps will account for more than $1.5 billion in sales on the site this year.
"Mobile enables consumers to make impulse buys and convenient purchases wherever they are, and eBay is constantly innovating to make mobile shopping easy and reduce the friction in commerce," notes Mark Carges, eBay Marketplaces' chief technology officer and senior vice president. "With RedLaser's innovative technology, eBay is continuing to help shoppers quickly find the best deals online, and eBay sellers will be able to list their items faster."
Auctiva staff writers constantly monitor trends and best practices of those selling on eBay and elsewhere online. They attend relevant training seminars and trade shows and regularly discuss the market with PowerSellers and other market experts.
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