Further News
+ An infographic that shows the numbers behind in-store mobile commerce and online retail payments.
+ Is online shopping pushing up postal costs?
+ How do social networks Facebook and Pinterest compare when it comes to social commerce?
+ See how iPad-vertising is taking off.
+ 5 things you need to know about e-commerce.

Looking Back on eBay Ink
June 6, 2011: eBay Inc. today announced that it has agreed to acquire Magento Inc., the creator of Magento, a leading open source ecommerce platform. The deal follows eBay’s acquisition of a minority stake in the company in 2010. Upon closing of the transaction, eBay will own 100% of the outstanding shares of Magento. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

A video message to developers from eBay Inc. CEO, John Donahoe

eBay Ink Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.

Further News
+ The Hottest Trend in e-Commerce? Clothes.
+In-app purchases are proving a boon for app developers, boosting revenues for both developers and app store owners such as Google and Apple.
+ What makes the online consumer tick?
+ The Facebook Timeline of social commerce represented as an infographic.

Posts From the Week
+ Happy Birthday to us! eBay Ink turns 4 today
+ Celebrate Earth Month with eBay
+ eBay on the Road: 2012 NonProfit Technology Conference
+ Survey shows Tax Refunds “Drive” Vehicle-Related Purchases
+ UPDATED: eBay has Acquired WHI Solutions

Looking Back on eBay Ink
April 12, 2011: Today, eBay, HP, Microsoft and Intel released a statement in support of Senator Kerry’s (D-MA) and Senator McCain’s (R-AZ) Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act. The Act establishes a framework to protect the personal information of all Americans both online and offline. Please click here to view eBay, HP, Microsoft and Intel’s statement of support.

eBay InkWeekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.

Further News
+ Social sharing has become a mainstream activity, a new study says.
+ Mobile shoppers more often turn to a retailer’s actual website rather than a dedicated app.
+ Some have questioned the effectiveness of Facebook as a commerce platform, but can you dismiss an ad and marketing channel with 800+ million users?

Posts From the Week
+ AutoNation Direct launches special 50%-off promo on eBay Motors
+ David Marcus is the new President of PayPal
+ 5 Minutes with… David Marcus, President of PayPal

Looking Back on eBay Ink
March 31, 2012: Bringing local commerce one step closer to shoppers, eBay announced today that it will be offering consumers local inventory powered by Milo. Shoppers will now be able to use the new local shopping tab to check a product’s local, or in-store availability. Additionally, product pages for MP3 players and GPS devices now include a local shopping tab allowing shoppers to find they product they want, whether its online or offline at a local retailer. By bringing local inventory into the core search experience on eBay.com, shoppers who opt-in through the Garden will now see local shopping results on a new tab alongside the traditional search results on eBay.com
To connect small retailers and local shoppers, eBay is also introducing pluginfrom Milo that will help small to mid-size retailers easily integrate their offline merchandise onto Milo and eBay. Beginning with retailers who use QuickBooks, this software will allow independent retailers to upload their local inventory through a one-time, three-step installation and automatically share the real-time availability of their products with millions of shoppers nationwide, whether on eBay.com, eBay’s RedLaser mobile barcode-scanning application, or Milo’s affiliate partner sites. Retailers can sign up for the program here: http://www.milo.com/retailer-signup.

eBay InkWeekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.

Further News
+ New Yorkers can now shop for Lancôme and Yves Saint Laurent beauty products while riding in cabs.
+ E-commerce sites are facilitating social sharing among their users through buttons and plugins.
+ Some of the biggest brands on the Web are opening shops offline.

Posts From the Week
+ PRIMEDIA to Acquire Rent.com from eBay Inc.
+ [VIDEO] Recap of eBay Inc. at Mobile World Congress 2012

Looking Back on eBay Ink
eBay’s Raji Arasu Named a “Woman of Influence” for 2011. Raji Arasu, Vice President of Technology for eBay, has been named to the prestigious Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal 2011 Women of Influence list. Nominated by her peers, and recognized by the publication’s Women of Influence committee, Raji will receive the award at a formal awards’ dinner on April 14. She will also be included in a special publication honoring notable women in Silicon Valley. I was lucky enough to sit down with the 10-year eBay veteran to chat about her time at eBay, the award itself and the challenges and opportunities she sees facing women in technology today.

eBay InkWeekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.

Further News
+ Websites racing to be the “Facebook” of style.
+ Apple’s iPad 3 announcement electrifies eCommerce community
+ INFOGRAPHIC: The state of social commerce

Posts From the Week
+ UPDATED: [VIDEO] eBay Ink Behind the Scenes: Sellers discuss the eBay Seller Update: Spring 2012
+ eBay Inc. CEO John Donahoe keynotes Mobile World Congress 2012; video interview with the Wall Street Journal
+ eBay Seller Update: Spring 2012
+ [VIDEO] eBay Ink Behind the Scenes: Learn more about the eBay Seller Update: Spring 2012
+ eBay and PayPal announce new partnerships at Mobile World Congress

Looking Back on eBay Ink
March 8, 2011: On the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day, @WorldofGood_com wants to know who inspires you? The folks over at WorldofGood.com are celebrating the International Women’s Day Centenary by highlighting women that inspire them. They’re asking for your inspiration too. From the WorldofGood post:

What woman in your life – mother, teacher, role model, friend – inspires you, and why? Through midnight PT on Tuesday, March 8, share your thoughts with us in the comments [click here to leave a comment] The author of our favorite entry will receive a handwoven and embroidered wool bucket bag, made by Jenny Krauss, an organization of women artisans in Peru. (P.S. – We’ll ask our winner for a photo of themselves and/or the woman that inspires her (or him!) so we can feature your entry on our homepage.)

To be honest, I have a lot of women that have inspired me over the years. From my Mum, to my wife, to my friend Libby Reder – co-founder of the eBay Green Team back in the day – so it will be difficult to single out just one. However, I’m going to take the time to honor that one person over on the WorldofGood.com site and I encourage you to do the same.

eBay Ink Weekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.

PayPal to Expand in Ireland
PayPal is reportedly hiring 1,000 workers in Ireland over the next four years. This will bring the company’s total employment in Ireland up to 2,400 by 2016, making it one of the largest internet employers in the country. Louise Phelan, a vice-president of global operations for PayPal, said the expansion was necessary to support the double digit growth the Irish operations were experiencing. According to Ms Phelan, the new recruits will work on creating the “future of money”. [via Wall Street Journal]

Further News
+ A list of the top seven essential things you need to know about mobile commerce.
+ Social shopping is more than a click on an e-commerce site.
+ The American Customer Satisfaction Index reported customer online shopping satisfaction inched up 1%.
+ Why social networking sites want your personal information.

Posts From the Week
+ eBay to Acquire WHI Solutions

Looking Back on eBay Ink
February 18, 2011: In a week of rankings and top 50 lists, eBay is ranked #22 for “transforming the mobile marketplace” on Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies 2011 (a list eBay didn’t even make back in 2010). Another sign of the company’s continued focus on tech and innovation when connecting buyers and sellers.

After what eBay has done over the past 12 months, it’s time to stop thinking of the company just as, well, whatever you’ve been thinking of it as: auction site; Internet stock monster; Meg Whitman launching pad. The new eBay is mobile, mainstream, and fashionable…

…The results have redefined the brand. The company sold almost $2 billion worth of goods via smartphones and tab-lets in 2010, more than double the total sales from 2009.

eBay made the top ten in Mobile coming in second only to Foursquare. Skype also made the list at #4.

eBay Ink Weekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.

Further News
+ Check out the most popular products bought online in 2012.
+ Infographic: What Drives Mobile Commerce?
+ Pinterest may be changing the social commerce game, but why?

Posts From the Week
+ eBay Ink to host second eBay Chat on 2/16 at 4pm PST with Goodwill International
+ INVITATION: Crisis Communications in the age of social media
+ eBay enables record amount of socially conscious commerce in 2011

Looking Back on eBay Ink
February 16, 2011: eBay has taken the number one spot in a new ranking of the the top social media brands, carried out by Yomego. A number of factors were involved in tabulating the list but from what I can tell it was primarily based on overall reach and satisfaction in determining where companies landed in the Top 50.

eBay Ink Weekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.

Further News
+ Get a hint at three ways to optimize your e-commerce site.
+ Tips for making your e-commerce site truly social.
+ Social media predictions for 2012.

Posts From the Week
+ Brian Solis Shares His Thoughts on Social Commerce
+ The PayPal 1099-K: What is it?
+ [INFOGRAPHIC] I Won it on eBay

Looking Back on eBay Ink
February 11th, 2010: eBay Motors today launched an online shopping experience for new vehicles, giving auto dealers and manufacturers an alternative channel to market inventory to local buyers. I just played around with the new interface and it’s incredibly intuitive and easy-to-use. I was able to look for both used and new cars – breaking down to color, make, model, etc. – in less than a minute. The news is good for dealers too because they can now choose from a number of new car selling options including auction, fixed price, best offer or an online classified ad to drive leads. Currently, new cars make up about 13% of all vehicles sold on eBay Motors.

You can read the full press release here.

eBay Ink Weekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.

Further News
+ Learn the six pillars of social commerce.
+ Mobile phones becoming go-to shopping tools in stores
+ Social media is predicted to be MVP of Super Bowl.
+ Many developers rushing to mobile first, but don’t forget about the web.

Posts From the Week
+ VIDEO: John Donahoe, sits down with Mashable’s Pete Cashmore at the WEF, Davos
+ eBay Ink Social Media Seller, Marsha Collier, Nominated for a Small Business Book Award
+ Altimeter Group’s Jeremiah Owyang presents at the Page Society West Coast Social Media Summit

Looking Back on eBay Ink
February 3rd, 2010:eBay has teamed up with RecycleBank, the country’s premier recycling and loyalty program, to reward consumers for recycling and reusing what already exists in the world today.

RecycleBank rewards people for positive green actions (currently the recycling of trash and electronics) and seeks to create a greener economy with key partners across the U.S. In just five years, the model has proven its success; on average, recycling volumes increase two-to-five times and members across the country earn hundreds of dollars in reward value. RecycleBank has programs in hundreds of cities around the country, reaching over one million consumers.

By teaming up with eBay, the RecycleBank program brings consumers online, offering 50 RecycleBank Points for joining eBay’s Green Team. Additionally, RecycleBank members will be able to use their RecycleBank Points for discounts on eBay purchases.

“RecycleBank has always been rewarding more responsible environmental behavior like recycling for households across America. Working with eBay on an initiative to promote reuse and reward you for that behavior becomes a natural progression of our business,” said Morley Ivers, Chief Rewards Officer, at RecycleBank. “Together, we look forward to amassing a movement of people committed to reusing and recycling.”

eBay Ink Weekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.

Further News
+ Social media is helping drive the economy and empowering the people.
+ Mobile companies continue to see support from venture capitalists.
+ Physical stores want features that let them become more like online stores.

Posts From the Week
+ John Donahoe on consumer & retail shifts at the DLD Conference
+ eBay employees are invited to Bring it. Sell it. Ship it.
+ eBay’s Paul Jones receives Industry Service Award from Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA)

Looking Back on eBay Ink
January 27, 2010: eBay Buyers & Sellers gave $54.8 Million to nonprofits in 2010 through @eBayGiving. In a world where things rarely seem to shock or surprise anymore, the capacity to give never ceases to amaze me. A record $54.8 million was donated to U.S. and U.K. nonprofit organizations by eBay buyers and sellers in 2010. A donation was made every 24 seconds through eBay Giving Works, raising more than $91 every minute for nonprofits. Nearly 9 million items were listed for sale in 2010 – with all or a portion of the sale price donated to a nonprofit – more than double the items listed in 2009.Since eBay Giving Works was launched in 2003, $230 million has been raised for U.S. and U.K. charities and currently lists over 650,000 charity items on the marketplace.

eBay Ink Weekend Roundup is a summary of news and updates around eBay, PayPal, Social Media, Technology and E-commerce. Let us know what interests you.