Pete Medcalf: Putting leading industry figures in the Spotlight

Putting leading industry figures in the Spotlight
- Brought to you by Retail Business Technology Expo

Pete Medcalf is Head of Channel Partners at eBay UK

Q: What's the next big thing in retail?
A: The old distinctions of online and offline are rapidly blurring. In fact, they are disappearing. A 'new retail' is emerging: a seamless way of shopping that is more convenient, more accessible, more local and global – and more relevant to more consumers – than anything yet seen. This 'new retail' is internet-enabled, platform supported and technology-driven. A 'store' is wherever you want it to be.

Four trends illustrate the changes underway – mobile, local, social and digital:

• Mobile
Two years ago, Smartphone applications were more novelty than necessity. Now fast forward. Our mobile applications have been downloaded more than 30 million times, in eight languages, across 190 countries.

The impact of mobile technology on commerce and payments is just beginning. Soon, more people will access the internet through mobile devices than through desktops or laptops. That is a profound shift.

• Local
Mobile is influencing local and is changing the way people shop and pay, and mobile technology will help bring local inventory online.

Yesterday consumers viewed 'online' activities as quite distinct from what they did in the 'offline' world. People may have researched online and bought in a store, or browsed in a store and bought online.

Today, people do it all in the palm of their hand – researching, browsing, shopping and paying whenever they want, from wherever they are.

• Shopping is social and the lines blur between online and offline
The explosive growth of social networks such as Facebook creates enormous innovation potential for social commerce.

We’re in the early days and this is an area where there will be a lot of experimentation. But social commerce will be an important force over the next several years.

• Digital is the fourth trend
The dam has finally broken on consumer demand for digital goods. Traditional media is quickly converting to digital. This creates new markets and new opportunities for those who innovate in devices, commerce and payments.

Q: Biggest challenge to current business?

A: Keeping relevant to our customers
Need to ensure shoppers who come to eBay can find and buy what they want. If they are unable to find what they’re looking for, they will shop elsewhere. eBay is adapting to changing shopping habits through things like:

Search: adapting our search algorithms, introducing visual and contextual search so that customers can always find what they want.

Fixed pricing: 60% of eBay’s sales are now fixed price items, reflecting that customers don’t want to wait for purchases.

Mobile: more customers are buying and selling items through mobile phones. We‘re already on all five major platforms we’ve seen growth go through the roof, with more than 30 million downloads of eBay's apps worldwide (to date) and users from over 190 countries used eBay's mobile apps.

• Constant innovation
eBay is already at the forefront of mobile commerce. We constantly invest in innovation to ensure that we evolve in line with our shoppers habits and the e-commerce industry as a whole.

• Thinking and acting like a retailer
We understand that shoppers are all different, which is why we have a strong focus and investment in providing tailored vertical shopping experiences. By providing shoppers with a retail-like experience, we’re helping them curate all that choice on the Web. It’s now about eBay further extending that experience across all categories and verticals.

Q: What is your biggest headache in your job right now?
A: Finding more successful partners who can deliver superior service and integration to our Enterprise seller community

Q: Most exciting or promising technological developments:
A: eBay has already begun experimenting with technologies such as Augmented Reality, we understand that when shopping online it can be difficult to assess what a garment will look like on.

We integrated Augmented Reality into our latest iPhone fashion app. The ‘See It On’ sunglasses feature enables users to select a style from different frames and lenses. Shoppers can fit the style to their face by taking a photo and using pinch and zoom measurements to decide, which style suits them.

eBay acquired RedLaser technology in June 2010, which enables users to scan an items barcode to find the best deals on eBay and is used for in store price comparison. The RedLaser app, received a million downloads within three weeks after eBay acquired the app and made it free.

We are looking to expand the use of Augmented Reality in the future, the ultimate aim is to be able to combine this technology with RedLaser and scan items to immediately see what they look like on.

Q: How important is mobile, social networking, Internet retailing and the cloud to retailers?
A: Shopping is social, and as the lines blur between online and offline.

o The explosive growth of social networks such as Facebook create enormous innovation potential for social commerce.

o We’re in the early days and this is an area where there will be a lot of experimentation. But social commerce will be an important force over the next several years.

o The dam has finally broken on consumer demand for digital goods. Traditional media is quickly converting to digital. This creates new markets and new opportunities for those who innovate in devices, commerce and payments.

M-commerce is a natural extension for an e-retailers mutli-channel strategy as it provides an opportunity to reach a wider audience they may not have reached before using just their website.

Q: What do you hate about exhibitions and wish would change?
A: The same people exhibit time after time , new innovation companies should be encouraged and incentivised to exhibit

Q: What, if anything, do you love about exhibitions?
A: The ability to meet and discuss current trends and emerging technology with peers and competitors alike

Q: What would you like to see at Retail Business Technology Expo?
A: Innovation, exhibitors and speakers that challenge the way we think about retail

Q: Whose job would you most like outside of retailing / hospitality?
A: Antiquities Auctioneer at Sothebys

Q: What is your favourite 'gadget' (work or personal)?
A: My Ipad , I use it everyday now

Published March 2011