Online auction giant eBay has entered the US wine retail business with the launch of eBay Wine, offering more than 10,000 wines from 30 countries.
Through a partnership with mobile app platform Drync and its network of retail partners, eBay Wine claimed it will be able to deliver wine to 45 of the 50 US states.
The new platform, it added, enabled shoppers to browse a wide range of wines – from the everyday to the rare and collectible – based on a variety of filters, including varietal, region, price point, price format and delivery options.
eBay Wine also includes guides and tips from lifestyle expert Maureen Petrosky and from sommelier and winemaker André Hueston Mack, which the company said would highlight wine trends and accessories.
‘The Drync-eBay collaboration marks a significant shift in the wine industry – offering real-time inventory from large and small retailers throughout the country through a marketplace that includes both in-store pick-up and delivery options,’ said Brad Rosen, founder and CEO of Drync.
The platform offered a ‘fresh, modern way to find the perfect bottle’, added Alyssia Steele, DMM home & garden at eBay.
eBay’s move into wine comes four years after retail rival Amazon launched Amazon Wine – the latest of several attempts to enter the wine market in the US.
Meanwhile, Amazon started selling wine direct in China in 2013, and began selling a range of food and drink, including wine, in France last September.
