eBay Australia plans to grab a larger slice of the $4 billion-a-year Australian sneaker market, by launching an ‘authentication guarantee’ program that aims to counter the rise of counterfeit sneakers.
The local branch is following the lead of eBay in the US, who implemented this policy after Nike and other companies boycotted the marketplace, over third-party sellers being able to easily sell counterfeit goods on the site.
“Sneakers for younger people are an aspirational luxury good – it’s art for them in the same way that others would collect art,” eBay Australia managing director Tim MacKinnon explains. “People buy these sneakers and put them on display.”
And, like the art world, the market is flooded with fakes. MacKinnon says a pair of sneakers sells every two minutes in Australia on eBay.
“We see it as a continuing growth area and an opportunity to improve the experience of buying sneakers.”
The ‘Authenticity Guarantee’ will be given to sneakers that go through rigorous testing in an American lab, and will be labelled with an encrypted digital certificate. It is available for new sneakers worth over US$150, or pre-owned items over US$300.
