eBay's Private Marketplace: eBay tests off-site B2B trading platform w/Wal-Mart

[Kristijntje]

After years of resisting the idea, eBay is quietly opening up some of its back-end technology so high-tech vendors can run their own B2B auctions offsite.

I chatted Tuesday with Mike Hackett, senior manager of business development for the e-commerce powerhouse, who says eBay has been testing under the radar two different services that could have implications for the channel, especially those of the e-tailer or volume reseller ilk...

The first service, a concept that it has started marketing under the name Private Marketplace, lets companies invite their resellers to compete for excess inventory in an off-eBay e-commerce site. Hackett says the companies who have chosen to use it, such as one of Hewlett-Packard’s European divisions, generally are limiting who can participate to authorized VARs. Other companies that have signed on: Wal-Mart, Circuit City and the federal government of Mexico...

full article: http://www.crn.com/sections/software/sof...=184428738

[bargainbloodhound]

So, here's the question: The concept of marketplaces flopped spectacularly as part of the dot-com implosion. Does eBay have the power -- both technically and as a brand -- to make these B2B marketplaces work?

Technically...you mean can eBay make a marketplace that actually works and won't be full of daily glitches?

[mandy]

A followup article:

Seems my entry yesterday, “eBay Your Way,” struck a chord, specifically with a Powerseller who has found little value yet in the eBay Reseller Marketplaceand with a flak for a technology provider Ariba, who took gentle exception to my sweeping comment about the general implosion of B2B marketplaces.

Our Powerseller, who requested anonymity, reports that the products that have showed up so far on the Reseller Marketplace have been less than exciting, and he questioned the business model of any Powerseller counting on this as a source...

full article: http://www.crn.com/sections/software/sof...=184429312

[bargainbloodhound]

So the anonymous powerseller is saying the merchandise available on the Reseller Marketplace is the same type of overpriced crap that is available from the big dropshippers in the eBay Solutions directory?