The Always Open on eBay Australia initiative has been extended until the end of the year to enable local retailers to sell free for up to three months and support businesses during these unprecedented times.

Since April, the initiative has already helped more than 1,000 retailers set up on ebay.com.au and comes as businesses in Victoria are forced to close their doors. The program aims to help retailers get online quickly and easily without having to pay any fees.

eBay Australia managing director, Tim MacKinnon said, “It’s an understatement to say businesses have had a challenging year. As we started to see the shoots of recovery sprout, retailers have been hit with more setbacks, particularly in Victoria.

“We are seeing a huge acceleration in e-commerce so being online has never been more important for businesses – yet it’s concerning that 57% of retail is still offline in Australia. Through Always Open on eBay we want to make it easy for those retailers transitioning to online.

“With two in three Australian adults shopping with ebay.com.au, it’s a key channel for retailers to tap into.”

With 11-million unique monthly visitors, eBay provides instant reach for businesses looking to get online for the first time or for those expanding their existing channels.

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