Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Tampa Bay news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Charlotte news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
eBay's new personalization effort. Photo: eBay
Online retailer eBay is introducing new technology today that lets new and existing users get more personalized recommendations by sharing more information.
Why it matters: eBay has spent the past couple of years trying to get people to realize it is more than just a place to buy Beanie Babies and baseball cards. (More than 80% of goods sold are new, not used, and less than 15% are sold via bidding.)
The new "interests" section borrows from Pinterest and the way music services have you pick different genres of music to get to know you. Pick some styles, hobbies and favorite sports teams and eBay's new personalization begins, highlighting items that might be of interest.
"You are more than what you have been shopping for recently," eBay head of personalization Bradford Shellhammer said in an interview.
Interesting timing: It might seem counterintuitive to ask people for more personal info at a time of heightened sensitivity over such issues, but eBay stressed it isn't sharing the data with others.
"The data you are giving to us is used for your eBay experience," senior VP Scott Cutler told Axios. "We’re not then marketing that to third parties."