Portals like Yahoo are realising the potential and many firms are looking to expand their E-commerce offerings with an auction page. Part of the reason auctions are dominating online shopping is their affinity with Internet selling. Retail works best when it can seduce browsers and impulse buyers through brands and atmosphere, while an auction merely needs an attractive product that can be summed up in a few words. Putting auctions online has opened them up to a new, geographically-dispersed audience. The Internet means interactivity, real-time dissemination of information and easy access, and this has made online bidding and selling a pastime of the masses.
Ordinary people can sell a vast range of whatever they like to other ordinary people.
Businesses are muscling in as well and finding another showcase for their brand by running auctions for slow-selling items. From the buyer's perspective, convenience and entertainment are the prime attractions. Online auctions last days rather than minutes and are open to anyone for free. If you see something you like you can put in a bid, get on with something else for a few hours, then come back and see how you're doing. Most sites even supply automated bidding strategies, so that you can keep your hand in, even when you're not online.