As consumers grow more accustomed to speedy online deliveries, eBay is hoping to exceed consumer demand. To accomplish this, the auction giant just acquired Shutl (http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20131022006209/en/eBay-Brings-Shopping-Significant%C2%A0Marketplace-Enhancements-Expanded-Local), a marketplace that uses a network of couriers to deliver local goods on a same-day basis.
According to Devin Wenig, president of eBay Marketplaces, consumption on the auction network has shifted strongly toward local purchases, probably as a result of eBay Now, a service released last October that lets shoppers order products from local stores and receive them in as little as an hour.
"Today, approximately 75 percent of what people buy is local, found within 15 miles from their home," said Wenig. "Traditional retail isn't going away. But it is transforming, and that creates enormous opportunity within the $10 trillion total commerce market."
Shutl (http://shutl.com/us/), which lists its speediest delivery to date as a little under 14 minutes after purchase, could give eBay a leg up on same-day shipping rival, Amazon. Currently, Amazon offers same-day shipping in select American cities.
Image courtesy of Shutl (http://shutl.com/us/about).
Source: eBay Acquires Shutl, Races Amazon To Your Front Door (http://readwrite.com/2013/10/22/ebay-acquires-shutl-races-amazon-to-your-front-door)