eBay Focuses on Fashion with Flash Sales, New Stores

Having pioneered the Internet retail scene, eBay aims to keep up with the changing face of the industry by launching Fashion Vault  in March, which includes flash sales and designer outlet shops.

The online auction site is responsible for moving the most retail business on the web, believe it or not, and the newest fashion-related developments seek to cement that lead.  The flash sales will mimic the successful formats of Gilt Groupe and Ideeli, while the U.S. will catch up with European outlet shopping on eBay, with an "outlet mall" featuring off-price versions of retailers like Lord & Taylor, Brooks Brothers and likely several more.

2009 marked the testing of several Fashion Vault participants, and capsule collections by Norma Kamali and Narciso Rodriguez are paving the way for what eBay hopes to be a successful new trend for exclusive designer partnerships. Additionally, eBay launched its own fashion publication, The Inside Source in November 2009.

Come April, the site will unroll enhanced viewing formats and displays for apparel and accessories, as well as stylist commentary and trend information, and then in September, eBay anticipates the addition of another high-end designer capsule collection. 

The changes for the coming year seem immense, and given the site's existing dominance in the field, selling upwards of $7 billion in apparel per year, it seems like it'll only get better. 

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