November 5, 2009
In an effort to focus attention on its online marketplace, eBay Inc. yesterday launched The Inside Source, a fashion-focused online magazine that aims to offer unique insights about lifestyle and fashion trends by analyzing the buying and selling activities of the eBay shopping community’s 89 million active shoppers.
Beyond highlighting trends, the web magazine aims to edit the overwhelming number of items on eBay to showcase what the editors deem the most covetable items. For instance, in one story, a writer highlighted a trend in which designers such as Gucci and Balmain showed a number of metallic dresses in their fall collections. That led celebrities like Sienna Miller and Demi Lovato to be photographed donning metallic dresses. The piece then highlights five metallic garments available on eBay. Another piece discusses the revival of the cocktail ring before showcasing 10 different rings available on eBay.
The magazine features stories on topics such as fashion, technology and home and garden, as well as videos and photo galleries. In addition to its original content, it will also feature sections that show snapshots of eBay Marketplace activity such as the most-watched merchandise and most-searched terms.
Meredith Barnett, a former editor of Conde Nast’s fashion-focused Lucky Magazine, who has also worked as Lifetime Networks director of digital media and founded StoreAdore.com, a web-based guide to boutique shops, is the site’s editorial director.
