03-26-2007, 03:58 PM
Quote: The US online auctions giant eBay would do well to buy QXL Ricardo, its smaller London-listed European rival. After a several troubled years amid the fallout from the dotcom bubble, QXL has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance and is now in better shape than at any time in its 10 year history.
There is no doubt that the group is a serious opponent to eBay in some parts of Europe. In fact, in Poland, Switzerland, Norway and Denmark it is a clear market leader. And here are some even more surprising statistics. In Poland, QXL boasts a market share of 95 per cent versus eBay on just 2 per cent while in Switzerland its share stands at 70 per cent with eBay on 30 per cent.
QXL is a very profitable enterprise. For the year to the end of March 2006, it made £9m on sales of £29m. In the current year, profits are tipped to rise to £15m and again to £21m in 2008. However, these forecasts could prove conservative given its plans to expand into two or three more Eastern European countries this year. Broadband internet penetration in the region is rising fast, thereby greatly boosting the size of the market QXL addresses...
full article: http://news.independent.co.uk/business/a...393349.ece
