EBay became one of the latest companies to join in on the movement to combine good business sense with social and environmental causes. Their Worldofgood.com website features products that have social benefits.
EBay developed the site with World of Good Inc., a startup focused on “ethical supply chains” behind consumer products, and licensed the group’s name for the marketplace. World of Good will get a share of the revenue from the site, which had been operating for the past six months as an online community focused on the social impact of business.
The site will sell fixed-price goods that purportedly have some positive effect on people and the planet. The goal is to help consumers align their social values with their shopping decisions, WorldofGood.com general manager Robert Chatwani said.
The benefit of working with World of Good Inc. is that EBay is leveraging the goodwill generated and community following of the organization. Will there be a big enough market? The article goes on to state:
Already the market for products that emphasize social and environmental awareness is growing. Mr. Chatwani cited the Natural Marketing Institute’s estimate that the U.S. market for such goods was $209-billion (U.S.) in 2005, and the group projects that will rise to $420-billion in 2010.
And while there are plenty of places to buy such items already, eBay and its 84.5 million active users might dramatically increase awareness for artisans. WorldofGood.com items will also be cross-listed on eBay proper, blended into standard search results.
This has the potential to bring together two large communities (EBayers and the socially aware) which may result in a win-win situation for both.
