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Mobile diaries for an eBay Christmas

Online marketplace and retailer eBay needed to address an issue where it was missing out on last-minute shopping at Christmas in both Germany and the UK due to concerns over its ability to deliver products on time and customers’ fears of difficulties when returning products.
Working with research firm 2CV, eBay ran a piece of research where, using a mobile diary, research participants were asked to log each time they saw a Christmas deal, either online or in a physical store, note the details and state whether they made a purchase as a result of seeing the deal. This was combined with other research activity, including an MROC, that helped to build a better understanding of how consumers shop in advance of Christmas. Findings suggested that physical retail premises were still important for online shoppers and that despite strong performance in other areas, concerns around delivery and returns were still putting off customers. This feedback led to a number of improvements being taken by eBay to address these issues.