EBay to launch warehousing and shipping services next year

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

The program is currently in trial in the United States and Germany and is similar to Amazon.com Inc’s “Fulfillment By Amazon” service, or FBA, which allows merchants to rent space in warehouses worldwide so they can store inventory closer to customers.

It is poised to help eBay ship products faster, increasingly a key consideration of shoppers when they browse for items online. EBay sellers send about 1.5 million packages daily in the United States.