Ebay to launch warehousing and shipping service next year

Ebay Inc said on Wednesday it would launch warehousing and shipping service for merchants selling through its platform starting next year, a new strategy that is expected to attract more sellers to the e-commerce platform.

The move is similar to Amazon.com Inc’s “Fulfillment By Amazon”, or FBA, which allows merchants to rent space in warehouses worldwide so they can store inventory closer to customers.

The service would help Ebay to ship products faster to its customers, a key consideration of millennial shoppers when they browse for items online. Ebay sellers in the United States send about 1.5 million packages daily.

Ebay held the mantle of top online destination for sellers, before Amazon’s marketplace ended its reign when it launched over a decade ago, helped in large part by FBA, which allows storing and shipping items and even handles customer service on behalf of sellers.