eBay Announces Lansing, Michigan as its Second Retail Revival Partner City
The partnership will help local businesses in Lansing utilize eBay’s global marketplace to boost their reach and revenue.
Members of eBay’s leadership team gathered with the Lansing Mayor’s Office, local government officials and small business owners to celebrate the announcement of eBay’s Retail Revival program in Lansing, Michigan. The second partnership of its kind, the 12-month program will provide training to Lansing entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to harness the power of technology and eBay’s global marketplace to help boost their reach and revenue.
Retail Revival is a new program in the U.S., first launched in Akron, Ohio earlier this year to bring traditional brick & mortar main street businesses online and introduce their inventory to eBay’s 175 million active buyers around the world. Just five months in, Akron Retail Revival sellers have sold to all 50 US states and 51 international markets.
“Our Retail Revival pilot program in Akron, Ohio, has shown the impact online marketplaces and a little bit of training can have in supporting local businesses to grow and thrive in the current retail environment,” said Scott Cutler, eBay’s Senior Vice President, Americas. “We knew we found an ideal partner in Lansing after seeing first-hand its strong community of small businesses, and we’re looking forward to working with these businesses to bring their products to our 175 million buyers around the world.”
“I am thrilled to partner with eBay over the next year to help boost Lansing’s local businesses,” said Mayor of Lansing Andy Schor. “The Retail Revival program will allow us to further support the growth of small businesses throughout the city. Lansing’s time is now, and it’s an honor that eBay chose our city as the next leader in local businesses utilizing their online platform.”
Retailers with physical stores have taken a hit in recent times, with a record 7,795 stores closures in 2017 across the U.S., according to a recent study by UBS. To help grow existing local businesses, eBay will provide Lansing-area Retail Revival sellers ongoing support and resources to get started and scale their business on the eBay platform. This includes training programs, one-on-one coaching, direct access to a dedicated eBay customer service team and an eBay store subscription – all provided at no cost to participants.
After seeing promising results in Akron, eBay plans to further expand the Retail Revival program, through partnerships with additional cities both in the U.S. and around the world.
