Ebay Continues Trust Offensive with Acquisition of Certilogo
Ebay’s spending spree is continuing with the acquisition of Certilogo, a provider of digital IDs and authentication tools for apparel and fashion goods. This latest acquisition follows an investment by Ebay Ventures in used sporting goods marketplace SidelineSwap earlier this month and the acquisition of marketplace compliance solution 3PM Shield in February 2023. All three investments are aimed at helping enhance the Ebay experience and build customer trust.
The acquisition of Certilogo is expected to close in Q3 2023 subject to customary closing conditions. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
The Certilogo platform uses digital technology to enable brands and designers to manage the lifecycle of their garments and provide consumers an easy way to confirm authenticity, access reliable information about branded items and activate circular services.
“For many years, consumers have turned to Ebay as a trusted destination for buying and selling pre-loved apparel and fashion goods, not only because of the unmatched selection, but because of our commitment to utilizing the latest technology to empower our sellers and buyers,” said Charis Marquez, VP of Ebay in a statement. “Certilogo’s technology and talented team allows Ebay to build on this commitment, establishing Ebay as a leader in pre-loved fashion, and offering new ways for consumers to connect and engage with brands.”
The Certilogo acquisition follows just weeks after Ebay introduced a new Certified by Brand program, which will see the platform work directly with brands to offer new, certified pre-owned, limited-edition and exclusive “only on Ebay” items. All of this builds on Ebay’s Authenticity Guarantee program, which launched in 2020 and draws on independent experts to vet and verify items sold on the platform.
“Trust is such an important cornerstone of our marketplace, and for Ebay we want to build trust with our buyers,” said Xiaodi Zhang, VP of Seller Experience at Ebay in a previous interview with Retail TouchPoints. “That’s one of the reasons we recently acquired 3PM Shield, a company that’s focused on identifying counterfeits and helping the marketplace be a safer place to shop. We are very focused on making sure that our buyers are able to shop with trust.”
“Certilogo was created to build connections between consumers and brands, utilizing technology to simplify and strengthen those relationships and unlock information that fundamentally changes how we interact with apparel and accessories,” said Michele Casucci, CEO and Founder of Certilogo in a statement. “Ebay pioneered recommerce, while Certilogo pioneered connected products and consumer-facing digital authentication. By joining forces, we will be able to make an immediate and significant contribution, taking advantage of already consolidated skills and infrastructures, promoting a model that has its foundation in community and circularity.”
