Now that the only thing driving eBay’s growth and profitability (PayPal) is gone, the company needs to figure out how to survive on its own. In its first major business move post-PayPal separation, the company has decided to trim some of the fat and shut down on-demand delivery service, eBay Now, and a few of its specialty apps to it can focus its full attention on other things.
Fans of eBay are about to have a much simpler experience. In a blog post,the company says it is shuttering services – including its on-demand delivery service eBay Now – and apps, such as eBay Valet. Also being culled: eBay Fashion (closing this week) and eBay Motors (shutting at the end of the year.) Though the eBay Now pilot program in Brooklyn brought positive results, the company writes “we always intended it as a pilot, and we are now exploring delivery and pick-up/drop-off programs that are relevant to many more of our 25 million sellers, and that cover a wider variety of inventory that consumers tell us they want.” Functionality from the specialized apps is being folded into the main eBay app. The company claims that will offer a better experience, but it’s not clear if we’ll see UI/UX changes to accommodate the additional features.
