The move is yet another blow to the bricks-and-mortar fashion industry, which has suffered extensively over the past year with a number of companies falling into administration or receivership as shoppers look offshore for cheap deals.
The eBay Fashion Gallery comes after separate eBay locations overseas have set up their own divisions where users can search through apparel products. But local spokesperson Jenny Thomas says eBay Australia isn't promoting the Gallery as a discount bin.
"You'll see when you look through the site that it's very different. It really plays into that dedicated fashion space. It's easy to navigate, and has great pictures," she says, noting that a number of key brands including House of Fraser, the Savile Row Company and Witchery will be sold through the site.
Many of the brands offering apparel through the site will use free shipping, eBay says. Thomas points out the range of brands is informed by eBay search results.
"We know what consumers are searching for when they come to eBay, and these are the same brands you would typically find in the likes of Westfield. We're welcoming those brands like Jigsaw and Supré here. Those are just a few, and we're looking at other international brands as well."
The move to a dedicated Fashion Gallery is eBay's reaction to a number of key trends, including the shift to offshore retailing – dominated by the apparel sector – and the company's own internal shift to more of a dedicated retail offering.
That shift to apparel is being noted by international retailers. Recently, ASOS noted that Australia makes up its second largest market outside Britain, and eBay is using research that shows that more than half of consumers are looking to buy more fashion products online.
Over the past few years eBay has been promoting its "Buy It Now" feature to retailers more than the traditional auction format, with a number of smaller retailers also being encouraged to join up to the site as an extension of their own online store.
These online stores have been incredibly successful for some – Deals Direct started off as an eBay store and still operates one as a division of its main site.
However, smaller retailers aren't invited to the Fashion Gallery just yet. Thomas says for now, it'll be only the larger, more recognisable brands that are included, although there may be opportunities to join later on.
"We're talking about more brands that you would see in department stores, and as of right now it's more of an invite-only case in the Fashion Gallery."
"But fashion is a big focus for us, and later on we might see more exclusive partnerships with small upcoming designers or specific lines just for eBay. But at the moment, it's just these partnerships with these brands."
Lisa Allen, co-founder of the Freez clothing chain, says such an opportunity would be worth considering, although notes the company no longer sells products through the auction giant.
"We did trial eBay, but it didn't work. It's very expensive to list items on there, but we are thinking of re-platforming over the next year or so, and the company we've spoken to about that suggested we would be able to do something on eBay."
"I suppose the main benefit would be not to sell product, but to lead them to your website. But eBay are one of the world's largest retailers, so from a marketing view this type of activity would make a lot of sense."
Allen approved of the move to a dedicated fashion division, saying, "It's quite smart, really... they're just trying to increase their revenue".
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