eBay Launches New Green Marketplace
Shopping "green" is the latest big trend in retail, and online auction giant eBay didn't want to miss out on it. To attract the new breed of "green"shopper, eBay has just launched a brand-new marketplace called "World of Good." On this new site, shoppers will find environmentally friendly and fair trade goods as well as other products that will appeal to the socially conscious.
The site, built in partnership with fair-trade company World of Good, appeals to those looking for more environmentally friendly fare, like toxin-free, chemical-free products, for example. It also appeals to the socially conscious shopper who doesn't want to support the potentially unsavory practices of today's large, international corporations and the sweatshop labor they use to create the consumer products we buy for discounted rates.
Says Robert Chatwani, eBay's general manager of the project, "What's different about WorldofGood compared with eBay is that shoppers will have more information about products--where they come from, how they're made, and how they affect the environment."
The World of Good Homepage
Another big difference between WorldofGood and eBay is that WorldofGood products will be sold at fixed prices. At launch time, the listings on the site feature products from over 70 countries and all of them have either environmental or fair-trade certifications - a prerequisite for any item that's sold on the site. Shoppers can even choose what kind of product they want to buy from a menu on the left side of the WorldofGood homepage - "people positive," "eco positive," "animal friendly," or "supports a cause."
Will WorldofGood have an impact? It's possible. But what it does have is the potential to make some serious money - the selling of fair-trade/green products is a $206 billion business here in the U.S. Shopping at WorldofGood may not be as worthy a cause as just giving money directly to a charitable organization, but it certainly will make you feel better about your online shopping sprees.
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I was honestly excited when I first heard about ebay's new worldofgood.com. I like to think of myself as a responsible consumer, I had canvas shopping bags before they were "the thing", I've composted my organic waste for years, and I ho on my bike rather than into a car when the time comes to do my simple erronds around town (alright so it has both time saving and health benefits as well but let me talk).
Because I like to think of myself as a good world citizen I was ready to jump at the opportunity to buy responsible goods from around the world and have the peace of mind that I would be making another small contribution.
The feelings of elation didn't last long as I found the same old story ebay has been telling for years in worldofgood.com. Fees, lots of them, quadruple dipping would be the term I would use.
It seems ebay is happy to present to you fixed price products with fair trade and green certifications, as long as the sellers are still paying their listing fee, final value fee, and a multitude of paypal fees. It seems nothing is sacred to ebay when there is a profit to be made.
As excited as I am about a market place designed specifically to promote fair trade and environmentally respectful products I think I will keep searching for a company the will do so without squeezing every ounce of profit from its already impoverished users.
Thanks for the good try ebay,
William
I feel that this site is a fantastic idea! I'm not sure I really understand the point being made by the comment above. eBay is a publicly traded, profit-seeking entity that has to act on behalf of its shareholders. What's wrong with that? Also - I assume (without doing more research) that it is entirely optional for the sellers to participate...meaning, if sellers don't want to sell than they don't have to. Kind of like when I walk into Target or Macy's. If I don't want to buy something, no one is going to force me to do so. Final thought - it's nice to see capitalism meet social development. For years, it has simply been charity and non-profit work fueling market access. Hooray for a business to use the force of shopping to make a difference in the world!