News Release

Irish beat Europeans on eBay.ie deal hunting

European wide study reveals that the Irish are the most value savvy in their

hunt for stay-at-home beauty treatments and frugal fashion

The credit crunch doesn't seem to have put paid to Ireland's shopping spirits, according to new Europe-wide research by eBay, the world's largest online marketplace. Findings show that the Irish are racing past their European neighbours, in their pursuit of bargains on eBay.ie and are the clear leaders in the growing online shopping trends of sty-at-home beauty treatments, frugal shopping and back garden entertaining.

The study has identified three key shopping trends in Europe:

1. Stay-at-home pampering

Whilst sales of Health and Beauty products are up Europe-wide, it would appear that Irish women are far less likely to compromise their beauty regimes than their continental cousins during the recession. Health and Beauty sales are up by 44% in Ireland, dwarfing the European average of 4%. It seems that Irish women are ditching the salon and adopting a do-it-yourself attitude, with sales of manicure and pedicure products up a massive 101% compared to a less polished 30% in the United Kingdom. Irish women also seem to be the most prepared to bear all this summer with sales of hair removal products growing by 64%, as opposed to a less smooth 17% in France. Similarly, cellulite treatments and exfoliators are flying off the virtual shelves, with a rise of 75% and 61% respectively.

2. Frugal Shopping

The recession doesn't seem to have stamped out Europe's flare for fashion, with sales in clothing and accessories swelling by 6% on last years figures across the continent. Ireland is once again the leader of the pack, with value hungry, fashionistas scrambling to eBay.ie at a 19% increase over last year. In the women's clothing category alone, sales are on a par with France, with growth of over 30%. Economic uncertainty doesn't appear to be ruining brides big days either. Sales of wedding dresses have bloomed by 31% and bridal accessories have blossomed by 64%. The credit crunch hasn't diminished the Irish party spirit either, with sales in fancy dress clothing sky rocketing by an average of 82% between men and women, the highest in Europe. Perhaps the rest of Europe doesn't share our sense of fun as the UK was the only other country to report a rise.

3. Back to our roots

The unending Irish optimism for a long hot summer doesn't appear to have been dampened by pinched purse strings. Instead of hopping abroad for some R&R, it appears that we are intending on spending far more time in our gardens. In the hopes of lolling around luscious green lawns, sales of weed and pest control have risen by 96%. In what appears to be a move to spending more time entertaining in the back garden, sales of garden lighting have lit up by 65% over an expensive night out over the summer. Tending to the back yard is a rising trend throughout Europe, with sales of garden furniture in Italy up by 50% and Greenhouses up by 71% in France. In a bid to be more self sufficient whilst saving a few pennies doing the weekly shop, sales of plants, seeds and bulbs have shot up by 127% on last year, overshadowing a paltry 18% in Belgium and are the highest in Europe, showing that the Irish are creating vegetable patches and growing their own produce.

Carey Maguire from eBay said 'With the demise of the Celtic Tiger, the Irish have become increasingly value conscious. However, they clearly don't want to discard any of life's little luxuries and are increasingly looking to sites such as eBay.ie for some self service satisfaction. Looking at these statistics, it is clear to see that the Irish shopper is streets ahead of their European counterparts when it comes to getting the biggest bang for their buck, be it for pampering @home, buying some fabulous clothes or entertaining out back. In fact, us Irish are so value hungry that since the budget announcement in April, listings have risen by over 19%'.

Further results from the Europe wide study revealed:

· Italy is the fake tan capital of Europe, selling twice as much as Italy and Austria combined last year

· The UK has the greenest fingers in Europe, buying more plants, bulbs and seeds than any other country

· The Polish buy the most retro inspired clothing

Case studies and interviews available on request.

-Ends-

For further information please contact:

Emily Cramp or James at Thinkhouse:

Tel : (01) 6619420

Email: emilycramp@thinkhousepr.com/ jamesoneill@thinkhousepr.com

Carey Maguire, eBay press office

Tel: 00 44 20 8605 3045

Email: cmaguire@ebay.com

About the research

The research compared sales on eBay sites across Europe and in each of the following countries (UK, DE, FR, IT, ES, IE, PO, BE, AT), comparing sales data year-on-year Q1 2008 - Q1 2009.

About eBay

About eBay

Founded in 1995, eBay Inc. connects hundreds of millions of people around the world every day, empowering them to explore new opportunities and innovate together. eBay Inc. does this by providing the Internet platforms of choice for global commerce, payments and communications. Since its inception, eBay Inc. has expanded to include some of the strongest brands in the world, including eBay, PayPal, Skype, StubHub, Shopping.com, and others. eBay Inc. is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Founded in 1999, eBay.co.uk is the UKs largest online marketplace. There are currently 17 million live listings on the UK site and over 16m unique visitors per month (Nielsen / Netratings, November 2008) buying and selling brand new, unique and used items. eBay estimates that 178,000 people earn a primary or secondary living or run a business on the eBay.co.uk site.