Online marketplace eBay Inc. has a TV ad campaign on its holiday list this year.
EBay today announced it will run national TV ads starting Wednesday, the first time it has done so during the holiday shopping season in two years. This isn’t the first time this year eBay has decided to launch a TV-focused campaign. The online marketplace ran commercials in 16 U.S. markets ahead of Mother’s Day this year and has said its renewed focus on marketing aims to help eBay’s sellers grow their revenue.
“Our new campaign illustrates why eBay is a top destination for holiday shopping—delivering incredible inventory and inspiration, along with a seamless shopping experience,” chief marketing officer Suzy Deering says.
On Nov. 23, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, eBay says it will offer deals exclusively for mobile shoppers using the eBay app. The marketplace also will feature a countdown clock on its Holiday homepage to enable shoppers to track when new deals will be released.
“In the lead up to this holiday, no single standout gift has emerged, which represents a significant departure from past seasons,” said Hal Lawton, senior vice president of eBay North America. “Since shoppers aren’t clamoring for a specific must-have item, there’s actually more pressure to find perfect gifts. With more than 1 billion listings, only eBay promises unique items and exclusive deals, combined with a cutting-edge shopping experience, fast and free delivery, and great service.”
EBay wasn’t the only major e-commerce player announcing holiday plans today. Sam’s Club says it will unveil pre-Black Friday deals starting Nov. 21, with deals on electronics, kitchenware and other items available online and in-store. Meanwhile, Black Friday, as the day after Thanksgiving is known, will start for Sam’s Club online shoppers long before the turkey has cooked. The retailer’s “Black Friday main event” starts at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Thanksgiving. Sam’s Club stores will not be open on Thanksgiving. The warehouse club’s parent company, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., is No. 4 in the Internet Retailer 2016 Top 500 Guide.
Omnichannel toy retailer Toys R Us Inc. (No. 35) will open its stores for 30 straight hours starting at 5 p.m. local time on Thanksgiving. The retailer reiterated its commitment to fulfilling online orders from stores: All online orders can be shipped to stores for free andonline orders of $19 or more come with free shipping. Shoppers also can access Toysrus.com/Guide to search for a specific product by name and identify its exact location within their local Toys R Us store.
Toys R Us in October said it will match online and in-store prices of 20 competing retailers including Amazon.com Inc. (No. 1), Wal-Mart, and Macy’s Inc. (No. 6), among others. That promotion is available throughout the holidays except during the stretch between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving.
Favorite