FairMarket Introduces Private Auctions

Online auctioneer FairMarket Inc. is broadening its service to include private and closed auctions.

FairMarket (FAIM) Tuesday launched Manufacturer Exhange, an e-commerce solution designed for manufacturers and wholesalers selling through their channel partners. FairMarket said Manufacturer Exchange will empower companies with the ability to improve selling efficiency and will help companies strengthen online channel relationships.

The new service includes three offerings that can be implemented within 30 days on the manufacturer’s FairMarket-powered commerce site:

• Closed Channel Solution which allows manufacturers to have password-protected
  closed auctions.
• Business-to-Business Exchange, allows manufacturers to host customized public or private vertical online auction exchanges.
• Channel Enabling Solution which leverages FairMarket’s distributed selling solution, enabling manufacturers to allow channel partners to display product listings on the manufacturer’s auction site.

  FairMarket’s private auctions allow manufacturers and retailers to host online e-commerce events where listings are only available through a URL that is not publicly viewable or searchable. Using this format, sellers can create special reward
  promotions for frequent customers, or incentive programs to obtain new users. For manufacturers, this capability helps to ensure that only key channel partners or distributors have access to the online auction.

  Closed auction sites provide the business-to-business market with a secure way to pre-register and validate users prior to their viewing or bidding on the auction site. With a higher level of bidder qualification, companies will now be able to ensure that bidding activity is restricted to appropriate organizations, reaching target customers, and avoiding channel conflict.

  Bryan Semple, vice president of product marketing for FairMarket, said this launch, combined with the recent launch of FairMarket’s OutletCentersm service and plans for a new PromoCentersm service, is offering FairMarket customers additional tools to better reach target markets and maintain competitive advantages.