eBay launches new site dedicated to art and design

eBay has launched eBay Collective, a new website aimed at interior designers and consumers wishing to buy art and design products.

The new site features products from eBay-selected art dealers and galleries, and uses image recognition technology to provide a different kind of searching experience for the customer.

Shoppers are able to hover over an image of a room, and the tool searches the site’s listings to find products that match or are a close match to the particular product in the photo. The artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been created by eBay’s company Corrigon.

The online store aims to curate objects that would “traditionally only be found in independent brick-and-mortar stores”.

Categories included in the store are various furniture types, decorative objects, fine art, lighting, and sculptures and carvings.

Jill Ramsey, vice president of soft goods at eBay, says: “Whether you are looking for a unique piece of furniture from a specific time period or a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork for your home that reflects your own style, eBay Collective will help shoppers to find that perfect piece.”

Pages on the site are also dedicated to “storefronts”, allowing dealers to “build their brands” and help customers do repeat shopping, says eBay. It also has a “make-an-offer” function, which allows dealers to barter with customers and offer discounts on fixed-price items.

The eBay Collective site can be viewed here.