Alistair Barr reported on eBay’s latest attempt to become more relevant in the online shopping space:

• eBay is replacing the front windows of shuttered shops with giant touch screens that allow customers to browse goods from a fashion retailer and buy items on the spot.
• The items are delivered via courier to the shopper within an hour. The shopper then pays the courier for the item so that sensitive credit card information doesn’t have to be entered onto a giant touchscreen visible to all.
• The idea has the advantage of allowing eBay to sell more goods than could realistically be stocked and sold in a single shop.
• Over at Slate Will Oremus points out that this also solves the problem of shuttered shops. By converting the storefront into a touchscreen it could rejuvenate a neighborhood.
• However in a way the touchscreen is the worst of both worlds. Unlike in a real store you can’t try things on. And unlike with an internet store you can’t comparison shop across websites.

Read more about the idea, the products that will be sold, and what the future of the technology may hold over here.

Source: Reuters

Via: Slate