Where eBay Is Delving into Groceries

eBay is getting into groceries – in Korea, that is. It will offer perishables such as vegetables, meat and dairy through Korea’s Gmarket and IAC platforms.

The Partnership Program Director for eBay Korea Ju Cheol Lee said, “We’ve aligned with a top Korean retail brand and put the final touches to the platform, giving our customers an easy and efficient experience when buying these goods on eBay.”

According to the company announcement, “Korean shoppers, particularly single households and double-income families, are increasingly looking to buy small bundles of fresh produce online and have it delivered the same day. With this in mind, eBay Korea has partnered with Homeplus, one of the largest retail chains in Korea with more than 100 branches, to create a new offering called Homeplus Pavilion.”

eBay said the partnership signals a shift to meet evolving consumer demands and a tie-in with a successful and established offline retail brand.

“The new arrangement will mean more than 30,000 items can be ordered from Gmarket-IAC and supplied to homes the same day via Homeplus’ logistics system and arsenal of cold storage trucks. The service currently encompasses 88 stores nationwide but will expand over time.”

In the US, marketplaces are trying to get into the groceries business – Amazon Fresh, in the case of Amazon, is competing with other services including those from grocery store chains. Amazon is also working to expand delivery of meals from local restaurants.

But would US consumers ever consider purchasing perishable food like meat and dairy via eBay?