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BMW partners with eBay for online auction store

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 - 10:18 by Mike Price

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German car manufacturer BMW has opened its first official store on auction site eBay in order to harness what it sees as a potentially large market to sell its products via safe shopping online.

Users of eBay will be able to buy parts, spares and accessories for their vehicles from the official outlet and kit out their BMW in whatever goodies they see fit.

The main motivation for the creation of BMW's eBay store is that over 600,000 people search for BMW-related products on the site each month and so there is a clear desire for the kinds of items that it might be able to offer.

Of course eBay is packed with entrepreneurs and so those seeking used parts or accessories have always been able to find something on its virtual shelves. However, BMW could put a dent in third party businesses because it will be able to offer 24 month warranties on everything they sell.

There are already a number of big companies working with eBay to offer safe shopping online from within its auction platform and it shows that the site is not just looking to corner the auction market but also expand into full blown e-commerce.

Ninety-six million active users access eBay regularly from across the globe and so it is easy to see why a growing group of firms are creating channels on its site as just another means of getting in touch with customers.

High street fashion chain Office is one of the success stories of eBay's retail expansion, with sales of its goods on the site already exceeding £1 million. Perhaps the most appealing aspect of its operation here is that Office has been getting rid of old stock via eBay, rather than offering brand new items, so bargain hunters have been having a field day.