eBay and Etsy Will Be Popular Destinations This Holiday Shopping Season

Coupon sites are expected to be a popular destination for frugal shoppers this holiday season. But online marketplace that deal in uncommon goods such as eBay and much smaller Etsy will also attract many holiday shoppers looking for unique gifts at good prices.

Scot Wingo, CEO of ChannelAdvisor, which helps retailers sell their products through various online sales channels, told me in early October that this year he is seeing a lot of retailers coming on to eBay that previously would not consider it. Sensing an opportunity to raise its profile as a holiday shopping destination, eBay is launching a new ad campaign, according to a Wall Street Journal story on November 2. The ad campaign features high-end designer items, new products as well as overstock and out-of-season goods.

Even affluent shoppers, looking for good value, are trying online marketplaces. In a recent conversation with Suzanne Hader, founder of 400twin, a consultant to luxury retailers, she said that high-end consumers will definitely be looking at eBay this holiday season.

Etsy, a source for handmade items, will also attract affluent shoppers. “Some of the better items on Etsy are really high quality and speak to the same values of craftsmanship and creativity that people usually look for in a luxury good,” Hader said. Etsy, founded in 2005, has more than doubled the value of goods sold on its site to $17.7 million in October 2009, up from $8.4 million a year earlier.