The dominant online trading platform, eBay, is having a difficult time expanding into the Asian markets, especially in China. Despite eBay’s previous failure to penetrate the Chinese market, the company needs to develop an effective strategy to compete in China’s markets against existing local competitors.
The company eBay was found in 1995 and since then they have had much growth and success over the years. They became the dominant player in the online auction house industry through their unique business model. Their business model united buyers and sellers in an online marketplace and attracted 221 million registered users. Their unique business model enabled e-commerce at multiple levels including local, national, and international through an array of websites that they have acquired. eBay acquired several online competitors such as PayPal, Rent.com, Shopping.com and most recently a partnership with Xiu.com, eBay Style. These trading platforms allowed eBay to offer distinct services and target-specific market niches. This allowed them to penetrate new market spaces and attract a range of users. The company also expanded internationally and have been successful in certain markets. eBay was considered a leader in each of its market with the except of Japan and China. eBay’s first attempt into China’s market was through the acquisition of a Chinese online auction company, Eachnet. They integrated their global strategy platform to Eachnet’s Chinese operations, essentially changing how the website originally operated. Since then, the company has lost most of their market share to local competitor Taobao. After several years eBay then decided to partner with Beijing-based Tom Online. This indicated that eBay failed to adapt to local needs and successfully compete with China’s online auction market leader, Taobao. This shows that eBay failed to create a community effect in China as they did with their other international markets through their