In a move that could make your iPhone a great shopping tool, eBay has just acquire RedLaser, the barcode-scanning app.
The synergy is apparent: use your scanning app on a product you see in a store and it will scan eBay’s database for similar products. I’m sure it will soon come to the official eBay app, so buying things will be quite simple.
“Mobile enables consumers to make impulse buys and convenient purchases wherever they are, and eBay is constantly innovating to make mobile shopping easy and reduce the friction in commerce,” said Mark Carges, chief technology officer and senior vice president, global products, eBay Marketplaces in a prepared statement. “With RedLaser’s innovative technology, eBay is continuing to help shoppers quickly find the best deals online, and eBay sellers will be able to list their items faster.”
This technology won’t just be coming to the official iPhone eBay app, as it will also come to the StubHub, Shopping.com apps and others.
This kind of stuff can be incredibly powerful and I’ve seen this firsthand with the Amazon app for Android. I’m a proud Amazon Prime member (totally worth it, by the way), so I routinely order stuff with a few clicks on the go.
I was looking to buy an HDMI cable from Best Buy the other day and was sad when it was $30. I used the Amazon app to scan the product, found it was only $6, bought it and had it delivered in two days.