The Fashion Council Germany and the online marketplace eBay Germany have entered into a partnership. Since July 2023, the two organizations have joined forces and support each other in their strategic, creative, and industry-related processes. To mark the new partnership, we spoke with Heiko Johannisson, Head of Fashion & Sports at eBay Germany, to learn more about eBay Germany and its initiatives to promote the circular economy.

1. Reselling and the circular economy are two key topics in the fashion industry for becoming more sustainable. What advantage does eBay Germany see compared to other online marketplaces?

Essentially, eBay was founded in 1995 by Pierre Omidyar to give used goods a new life. This brought private and commercial buying and selling into the digital age, and this remains an essential part of our DNA. In 2023, eBay is an exciting marketplace for anyone looking for used and new products. What makes us special is our overarching community spirit. I can buy and sell myself, whether used or new items, from both private and commercial sellers. Our users can choose from a wide range of fixed-price listings or participate in classic auction formats. Because all our online marketplaces are globally networked, shoppers can find an incredibly broad selection of items. Approximately 1.8 billion listings are available across all eBay sites at any given time.

2. What advice do you have for commercial sellers or fashion retailers who want to sell their products via eBay?

We welcome every new seller to eBay and offer valuable tips and advice for getting started and trading successfully on our marketplace in our seller portal ( LINK ). We also have a fantastic team dedicated to developing the fashion category on eBay. Interested sellers can contact our team at fashion@ebay.de . We look forward to hearing from you.

It's important for me to mention here that while the circular economy is a key focus for us and we've launched a fantastic "Pre-Loved Fashion" page ( LINK ) for our customers, new merchandise also has its place. We've been running our "Brand Outlet" ( LINK ) for over two years now.

The key to successful trading on eBay is the best possible presentation of products. Sellers create their own listings and can therefore be very creative in their presentation. In addition, retailers and brands can customize the look and feel of their eBay presence and thus develop their own branding strategy.

Good product images—and I deliberately use the plural here—are the calling card of an eBay listing. Furthermore, the listing title, essentially the item's heading, should be informative and easy to understand. If sellers consider both of these aspects, their listings will be found and clicked on in our search results pages. The conversion rate (the percentage of sales per click) increases with the level of detail in the product description. Within HTML5, sellers have virtually unlimited freedom in this regard.

3. What does the collaboration between eBay as an international platform and its local retailers look like?

Integrating local brick-and-mortar businesses is very important to us. Several years ago, we launched "eBay Your City," a local marketplace for and with municipalities and communities. In addition to local visibility, the global reach is particularly attractive for local vendors. International trade via eBay is really easy. Basically, all you need to do is enable international shipping for the countries you want to sell to and enter the corresponding shipping costs. This offers small and medium-sized businesses an interesting opportunity to handle global shipping together with our partner Packlink ( LINK ).

Just a few weeks ago, we launched "eBay Local." Here, we put the focus on local commerce and local pickup. Being able to buy products in one's own neighborhood and support local retailers and communities is important to many consumers. We want to strengthen neighborhood trade and the general desire to trade, remove barriers, and offer sellers and buyers another way to seize economic opportunities and give products a second life through local exchange.

4. What other projects is eBay Germany planning to promote the circular economy in the fashion industry?

Our partnership with the Fashion Council Germany is just the first step. We have several projects in the pipeline and in the planning stages. I'll gladly provide an update soon ;-) Stay tuned! Circular economy and eBay go together like a glove / like fashion and the little black dress / like a needle and thread / like…

We thank Heiko Johannisson for the interview.