eBay Wants To Tap Into The Food And Beverage Business

eBay, the popular e-commerce company, is commonly known for reselling new, used, and refurbished items; however, the company is looking to break the stigma of being an online thrift store and incorporate more food and beverage brands on the platform.

On the website, only 20 percent of the items for sale are used or refurbished, leaving the remaining 80 percent of listed items brand new, FoodNavigator-USA reported.

The high number of new items can theoretically put the platform on par with online retailers such as Amazon, which has entered the food and beverage industry with online grocery stores, wine sales, and its own line of products.

"This is a category where we know there's a lot of disruption and consumers are really getting more comfortable engaging with this category online. We're starting to see these trends on eBay and would love to partner with brands in that space," Bridget Davies, vice president of eBay advertising told FoodNavigator-USA.

In the online food and beverage market, online grocers made up only 4 percent of $33 billion in 2015 sales, according to Cowen & Company.

Unlike other online grocery platforms, eBay curates seasonal product pairings to appeal to potential customers.

"We index and play significantly in people's passions around certain retail moments and certain holidays, and we know food and beverage is integrated in those moments with your family and friends, " Hal Lawton, senior vice president of eBay North America, said during a company webinar.