eBay targets sneaker fans with pop-up store
An upcoming eBay pop-up store will reward “sneakerheads” for wearing their purchases out the door.
During Memorial Day weekend (May 27-29), eBay will operate the “Wear ‘Em Out Store” on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles. The store will feature some of eBay’s most popular sneaker styles at discounts of up to 70% off market price, with lower prices for shoppers who literally wear their purchases out the door. Rap musician and sneaker influencer Offset is helping to curate the assortment.
At the Sneaker Con Anaheim convention in Anaheim, Calif., during the weekend of May 21-22, eBay will give attendees an exclusive preview of the “Wear 'Em Out Store,” including several of the styles that will be unveiled, such as the Jordan 1 Retro High OG Patent Bred or Yeezy Boost 700 Wave Runner. The retailer will also provide previews and updates of the event on its Twitter and Instagram accounts.
The sneaker fits at eBay
With this planned pop-up promotion, eBay continues to establish itself as a secure provider of collectible sneakers. eBay previously acquired the authentication business of Sneaker Con, a sneaker authenticator with operations in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and Germany. This acquisition is an extension of an ongoing collaboration between eBay and Sneaker Con to support the e-tailer’s Authenticity Guarantee.
Launched in October 2020, the Authenticity Guarantee offers full vetting and verification of select sneakers bought on the marketplace by a team of Sneaker Con’s industry experts. Through this program, all new and pre-owned collectible sneakers sold on eBay for over $100 in the U.S. are fully vetted and verified by an independent team of industry experts. The launch of authentication for collectible sneakers also built upon eBay canceling selling fees on any sneaker purchase of $100 or more.
eBay is also not a stranger to pop-up shops, including for sneakers. In a recent example, the retailer opened pop-up storefronts called “Hard to Find Gift Shops” in Detroit, Miami, and Houston during the 2021 holiday season. The Detroit pop-up focused on the sneaker category.
“Most people can identify with that feeling of getting a new pair of shoes that you love so much, you just have to wear them out of the store," said Garry Thaniel, GM of sneakers at eBay. "The ‘Wear 'Em Out Store’ celebrates a love of sneakers, while acknowledging that sneakerheads are often balancing what they wear with what they keep in the box. eBay is the place to find every style and every price, and now we're offering an incentive to lace up the most coveted sneakers of the summer."
"eBay is my go-to place to find the kicks you can't find anywhere else," said rapper Offset. "For sneaker collectors like me who lay awake at night trying to decide if you're going to wear your new kicks, eBay's ‘Wear 'Em Out Store’ makes light of something that haunts the entire sneaker community and gives people a new way to access the shoes they want for summer."
Founded in 1995 in San Jose, eBay enabled over $87 billion of gross merchandise volume in 2021.