eBay's Desperation Is Showing

In an effort to become more visible in the shipping industry, eBay has launched a new shipping supplies store. Why, you might ask, would eBay decide now that they need to make their own boxes? Perhaps they noticed that one of their biggest competitors, Amazon, is still around. They were supposed to be stopped by eBay many years ago – it's easier to make your own auctions and sell in a place where the price of goods is dictated by auction-style pricing, right? As it turns out, Amazon's method of providing prices that appeared stable seemed to work better – and shipping every store's goods in an Amazon box seemed to be the ticket to people's mindshare, too.

According to the eBay News Team, eBay users wanted to buy boxes with the eBay brand on them. "Many of our sellers told us that they wanted to purchase eBay branded shipping supplies online and we wanted to provide them with more choices," said a PR representative at eBay. "Our sellers also said that cost and convenience were the most important attributes when choosing what and where to purchase."

As such, eBay will be selling their own branded supplies, with a set of items that'll include eBay branded boxes, tape, envelopes, and more. Boxes will be 100-percent recyclable and will come in 10 different sizes.

Users will be able to purchase "premium quality tape" as well as air jacket bubble mailers and polyjacket mailers.

The lot will be sold by an eBay Shipping Supplies store which will be operated by "a third-party fulfillment partner with a license to use the eBay trademark."

"We're not only excited to introduce eBay branded shipping supplies to our customers," said Manish Joneja, Head of North America Shipping Business for eBay, "but to do so in a cost-effective, eco-friendly and convenient manner that satisfies the needs of our sellers."