Taken from The Star Tuesday March 18, 2008
Selling To The World Via eBay
By STEVEN PATRICK
NEARLY 41% of all eBay.com.my sellers in Malaysia are serious sellers that are practising e-commerce, according to a study done by AC Nielsen Research.
The survey conducted in South East Asia found that these users were actively sourcing for products to sell on the site and were using eBay as primary source of income.
Dan Neary, a vice-president at eBay, said that the survey indicated that a lot of Malaysians are embracing eBay as a platform for entrepreneurship.
“With over 82 million users worldwide and a global presence in 39 markets, eBay is uniquely positioned as a global online marketplace providing boundless opportunities for Malaysian users to buy from and sell to the world,” he said.
He named local eBay entrepreneur Carol Fung as an example. In a press statement, Fung claimed that she makes more than US$1,000 (RM3,300) per month selling sewing and handicraft supplies, such as ribbons, lace and thread.
But Malaysians are also consumers on the local eBay site. The survey also found that Malaysians spent one third of their time online browsing eBay.com.my.
Clothing, shoes and accessories were the most frequently purchased items on eBay.com.my at 38%, followed by books at 36% and computers and networking services at 34%.
On average, the study found that local shoppers spent approximately RM411 per month on eBay.com.my, out of the total RM542 per month spent online.
“The local eBay community has been very active since the launch of the upgraded eBay.com.my site. We have seen more than 30,000 new registrations since last November and unique visitors per month have since increased by 112%,” Neary said.
eBay would not reveal the actual number of local eBay users, as it does not release market-specific statistics.
Anyway, the experience was good in a sense that I was really able to meet other sellers who are currently selling on eBay. As we talked and answered many questions that came across their mind. But it was really a good experience indeed to meet all sorts of people. But the greatest joy was to be able to tell people that eBay indeed is for everyone.
