She launched regional versions of eBay to allow local buyers and sellers to more easily exchange cars and other big-ticket items that can't fit in a shipping carton. She acquired Billpoint, an electronic billing service that enables buyers and sellers to pay one another with credit cards. And eBay launched sites in the U.K., Germany, Australia, Canada, and Japan. Each is off to a roaring start. Bottom Line eBay is developing into a comprehensive supplier of retail goods, the same goal that Jeff Bezos asserts for Amazon.
Difference is, Whitman makes money at it.
What's Next Look for Whitman to test how eBay's loyal, occasionally fanatical users like an online, nonauction, flat-priced electronics store. A direct attack on Amazon. Three Words Sly but straightforward. Headaches Amazon, Yahoo, and other Internet powerhouses trying to crash the party with their own auction sites. Corporate Goal You want it, we got it.