More than 100 GSI Commerce employees dropped everything to help out at two company fulfillment centers in late November after learning client orders had vastly exceeded earlier holiday season estimates.

Employees from New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Florida flew to GSI centers in Trade Port and Richwood, Kentucky to pitch in where they could, working 12-hour shifts for five days to prepare items for shipping and make sure that customers received them in time. (The employees received their regular salaries, plus two extra vacation days, and the company paid for their travel,  accommodations and food.)

While this may seem like bizarre behavior, the hard work was worth it for the chance to help ensure customer satisfaction, learn what goes on behind the scenes and bond with colleagues, employees said.

Korisha Ali, an account coordinator, called it “an experience I will never forget” and Nancy Hebel, an account executive, noted the physical labor was exhausting, but rewarding. “As I look back, I can say, ‘What a great experience.’” Hebel said. She also gained a” valuable understanding of how the fulfillment process works,” she said.  ”I am amazed at how efficient the center is.”

“I shop online for most of my son’s Christmas gifts,” said Courtney Bang, a client services analyst. “I would be heartbroken if they did not arrive on time.  In fact, I told my son — he is 2 — that I was working in Santa’s workshop all week.  I wanted to help make the holidays happen for families all over the world!”

Check out a photo montage of their week:

The article focuses on eBay Inc.’s evolution into a world class platform for retailers of all sizes, enabling consumers to shop whenever, wherever and however they want. Delving into eBay’s GSI Commerce, X.Commerce and Magento acquisitions, as well as the company’s innovative mobile and social efforts, Demery highlights how eBay is shedding its identity as an auction house and transforming into a top destination for retailers and customers.

“We are a different eBay today, no longer just an e-commerce leader but a stronger, more diverse global commerce company shaping the future of shopping and payments,” Demery quotes eBay Inc. President and CEO John Donohoe.

“Shopping is deeply embedded in our DNA,” says Alan Marks, eBay Inc. SVP of Corporate Communications. “We understand how to create commerce platforms at scale.”

“EBay’s new technology portfolio is still under construction,” concludes Demery, “but the company seems well on its way to growing beyond its auction-house roots.”

Be sure to read the full article for an insightful, in-depth look at eBay’s transformation from a second-hand marketplace into a world-class technology innovator and commerce leader.

• eBay Mobile announced that shoppers in the U.S. spent two and a half times more via eBay Mobile this Cyber Monday than last year
• PayPal Mobile announced a six-fold (552%) increase in global mobile payment volume compared to Cyber Monday 2010
• GSI Commerce announced a four-fold (374%) increase in U.S. mobile sales when compared to Cyber Monday 2010

“A new retail is emerging where online and offline shopping have merged due in large part to mobile technology and its continued growth,” said Steve Yankovich, vice president, Mobile, for eBay Inc. “eBay Inc. is enabling this new commerce landscape by helping holiday consumers shop anytime, anywhere, and by being the partner of choice for retailers and sellers of all sizes.”

eBay offered a variety of deals ranging from consumer electronics products to fashion, with many deals selling out within hours of being available:

• White Apple iPad 2 Wi-Fi 16GB for $449.99. Sold out in less than two hours. More than four units were purchased per minute
• RIM BlackBerry PlayBook 32GB for $249.99. More than 75 units sold per hour
• Acer Aspire 15.6″ Notebook for $399.99. Sold out in just over 2.5 hours. Nearly 200 units sold per hour

eBay Mobile (U.S.):
• Shoppers in the U.S. spent two and a half times more via eBay Mobile this Cyber Monday than last year

The five most popular categories shopped via eBay Mobile, excluding vehicles (by GMV)
1. Clothing, Shoes & Accessories
2. Computers & Networking
3. Jewelry & Watches
4. Collectibles
5. Sporting Goods

The five most popular categories shopped via eBay Mobile, excluding vehicles (by sold items)
1. Clothing, Shoes & Accessories
2. Collectibles
3. Jewelry & Watches
4. Cell Phones & PDAs
5. Toys & Hobbies

The top items purchased via eBay Mobile in specific categories were:
Fashion:
1. Toms Classic Shoes
2. UGG Australia Classic Short Shoes
3. Converse All Star Chuck Taylor Shoes

Electronics:
1. iPhone Accessories
2. NetGear WNDR3300 270 Wireless N Router
3. Apple iPhone 4 – 16GB

Toys & Hobbies:
1. Stomp Rocket Jr. Glow Kit
2. Black Wolf Twin Propeller 2-Channel Remote Control Helicopter
3. Mattel Cruncher Prehistoric Pets Interactive Dinosaur

Shoppers in these three cities spent the most via eBay Mobile on Cyber Monday (by GMV)
1. Athens, Ga.
2. Los Angeles
3. New York

Shoppers in these three cities made the most purchases via eBay Mobile on Cyber Monday (by sold items)
1. Los Angeles
2. New York
3. Houston

PayPal Mobile (Global):
• Cyber Monday resulted in a six-fold (552%) increase in global mobile payment volume compared to Cyber Monday 2010
• There was a more than four-fold (397%) increase in the number of customers shopping through PayPal mobile on Cyber Monday 2011 compared to last year
• On Cyber Monday 2011, PayPal saw global mobile payment volume more than double (154%) compared to an average Monday
• Cyber Monday 2011 resulted in a 17% increase in global mobile payment volume compared to Black Friday 2011
• On Cyber Monday 2011, consumers shopped on mobile most frequently between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. PST

Shoppers in these cities made the most mobile purchases through PayPal on Cyber Monday 2011:
1. New York
2. Chicago
3. Los Angeles
4. Houston
5. Miami

GSI Commerce Mobile (U.S.):
• GSI Commerce reported a four-fold (374%) increase in U.S. mobile sales when compared to Cyber Monday 2010.

For all online Cyber Monday shopping quick facts and additional holiday resources, visit www.eBayInc.com/holidaymedia.

Cheers!
RBH

I’ve been following along with the GSI Commerce Blog to see what interesting discussions they’re having over there around eCommerce and this week they posted info about a Twitter chat they’re hosting with Forrester tomorrow that I thought would be of interest for Ink readers:

Join us on Twitter for a live chat with Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru on Friday, May 6, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. You can follow #GSIchat to join the live chat. The event will be moderated by John Sheldon, senior vice president @TrueAction and include other GSI Global Marketing Services companies @FetchBack, @ClearSaleing and @eDialog.

They plan on publicly discussing the findings and implications of the joint study GSI Commerce recently completed with Forrester: The Purchase Path of the Online Buyer. To download the report and find out more information check out the GSI Commerce blog post.

Cheers,
RBH

The stockholders of GSI approved the adoption of the merger agreement with eBay at the special meeting of stockholders held this past Friday and the merger became effective later that day.

eBay acquired all of the outstanding shares of GSI’s stock for $29.25 per share in cash, or total consideration of approximately $2.4 billion. GSI Commerce will operate as a separate business unit led by Chris Saridakis as its newly appointed president who will report directly to eBay CEO and President, John Donahoe.

Be sure to add the GSI Commerce blog to your blog roll (if you haven’t done so already) and follow along on Twitter @GSICommerce.

Cheers!
RBH

Original post 3/28/11
eBay just announced that it has agreed to acquire GSI Commerce, a leading provider of online commerce solutions and interactive marketing services, for $29.25 a share, or total consideration of approximately $2.4 billion. The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2011.

As some of you know I am currently traveling for work so am unable to provide you with a “Behind the Scenes” Ink video interview at this time but will be sure to put one together when I’m back in the office to find out more info beyond the press release.

In the meantime, eBay will host a conference call at 8am PT today to discuss the announcement. A live webcast of the conference call, complete with slide presentation, can be accessed out our IR site: http://investor.ebayinc.com. You can also check out the eBay to acquire GSI Commerce press release and our Changing Shopping website for more info as to how this fits into eBay’s overall business strategy and what it means for all buyers and sellers.

Important to note that eBay will divest 100% of GSI’s sports licensing businesses and 70% of ShopRunner and Rue La La.

eBay believes these businesses are not core to eBay’s long-term growth strategy. These assets will be sold to a newly formed holding company, which will be led by GSI founder and CEO Michael Rubin. GSI will be managed as a separate business unit of eBay, led by Chris Saridakis.

I’m really looking forward to meeting some of the team over there (I’ve worked very closely with at least one person in the past already) and am excited to get the opportunity to share and leverage social and digital media strategies already in place with both companies.

I’ll update as I get more info.

Cheers,
RBH