The Perfect Store: Inside Ebay

The story of the most profibable e-commerce site in the world

Ebay (www.ebay.com) is the single most visited commercial site on the internet - and one of the most successful. The Perfect Store tells the story of eBay's humble beginnings, launched from a spare bedroom in Pierre Omidyar's house, to its current status today - with 1,664,000 visitors a day, 20 million registered users and 75,000 people relying on eBay for their income. eBay started as a way to help Omidyar's fiancee trade with other collectors. It turned a profit in its first month and went on to change the face of business, creating the 'perfect market'. Reveals details of the company's rapid rise and the fascinating impact it has had on its users through the virtual marketplace. Examines the range of customers, from the woman who wakes at 3.00am to bid on a toaster, to the woman who had to rent a warehouse for her thriving business selling bubble-wrap. Reveals why eBay has succeeded when so many dot-coms have failed. Provides essential reading for those trying to understand how the Web is changing business, and for those trying to anticipate the next big thing.