A select group of eBay sellers are testing the program in a pilot scheme, which started yesterday, and on June 18 the scheme will be open to all qualified online sellers. Most of the sellers participating in the pilot scheme are small business owners and individuals looking to expand their business.
Larger companies, such as IBM and Hard Rock Cafe, also plan to set up stores on the site.
Sellers will pay a monthly subscription fee of $9.95 (£7.17) and an initial fee of 5 cents per item. Final value fees range from 5% to 1.25% based on selling price.
Meg Whitman, eBay president and CEO, said, "eBay Stores is the next step in eBay's evolution. Our sellers should realise increased sales as buyers become familiar with their stores. And our buyers will enjoy the added convenience of quickly being able to browse through the inventory of their favourite sellers."
In separate news, eBay announced that it has launched an auction channel in association with the UK ISP Supanet. The deal is based on a cost per acquisition model, where eBay will pay for each Supanet customer that registers on eBay.co.uk.