 
the article notes that a first-mover advantage is paying dividends for yahoo auctions in japan. i'm sure that yahoo's relationship with softbank is helping keep ebay at bay as well. put this in the "one more reason ebay may buy yahoo" list.
Ebay mulls options after Yahoo Japan rout
By Thorold Barker in Milan and Paul Abrahams in San Francisco
Published: January 10 2002
Tired of all the good news and gooey gushing profiles of online auctioneer eBay? Then check out Financial Times' story reporting that eBay has been ''routed'' in Japan by Yahoo. FT reports that eBay ''is considering the strategic options for its Japanese operations'' now that Yahoo Japan ''has more than 90 percent of the domestic online auction market.'' FT says eBay is considering selling its Japanese unit, or putting it into a joint venture - or making an acquisition ''to provide critical mass.'' eBay's senior vice president for international operations admits its Japan site ''has been a significant disappointment for us.'' CEO Meg Whitman admits ''Yahoo is very well entrenched. We did not give the Japanese team enough support.'' FT notes that Yahoo was the first auction site to gain critical mass in Japan, just as eBay did in the U.S., where it ''proved a strong shield against competitors.''
Friday, January 11, 2002
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