Facelift for eBay iPad app cashes in on mobile shopping demand

Online marketplace eBay has released a fresh iPad app just in time for Christmas, in a response to the growing demand for mobile shopping.

It’s the latest move by the auction site to stay relevant to its customer’s habits, after it launched an app that does the selling for you in June.

It says the mobile experience, particularly the tablet market, is rapidly becoming the preferred way to shop globally, according to TechCrunch,

Over 50% of global internet users are using phones and tablets to pick out ready to buy items instead of bidding on the e-commerce site.

“The eBay for iPad app is an important step on our journey,” RJ Pittman, chief product officer for eBay noted. “It delivers a better shopping experience for buyers and better merchandising capabilities for sellers.”

TechCrunch reports eBay moved the release of the app forward from its previously scheduled date of early next year to see how it fares during the prime holiday shopping season.

Pittman said the move was part of eBay’s new strategy to be more agile in keeping up with the way people shop.

Some of the new iPad apps features include higher resolution images that users can pinch and zoom, cleaner design with simplified navigation and checkout, gesture-based exploration, a more user-friendly My eBay experience and integration of the new curated Collections tool.