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eBay creates social m-commerce experience at London venue

Thursday, November 29, 2012 - 11:26 by Mike Price

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Covent Garden will play host to a brand new type of shopping experience this coming weekend, with a blend of mobile and social elements coming together to help reveal what the UK really wants to buy this Christmas.

At the helm is eBay, the online auctions site, which has been one of the most popular retailers in its category for over a decade and a half.

The site is using its own store of data collected from customers carrying out safe shopping online, as well as social networking services, like Facebook and Twitter, to shape its social shopping experience.

A report commissioned by the retailer found that 47 per cent of its users look to their pals when they want to decide whether or not to make a purchase online.

Meanwhile, 23 per cent of us will be using a smartphone or a tablet device in order to get this year's Christmas shopping run out of the way, without venturing to the high street.

Since these smart gadgets are also intrinsically linked to social networking, making it much easier for people to see what everyone else is talking about, eBay is convinced that an m-commerce assault is the best way forwards.

The whole eBay social shopping experience will be on offer from Friday to Sunday, the latter of which is predicted to be the year's busiest day for safe shopping online.

People will be able to see which items are getting the most coverage on social networks and also use virtual shopping assistants to help guide them through eBay's extensive product catalogue.

Of course, if you cannot make it down to Covent Garden, which is sure to be packed with people at this time of year, then you could always stick with eBay's online outlet.