Pop-up eBay shops to open this weekend for unwanted holiday gifts

Just in time for the holidays, eBay is hosting pop-up for those who may have been less than satisfied with their gifts. The online shopping haven is setting up a temporary pop-up at several Westfield shopping malls with a purpose of reusing “unwanted” holiday gifts.

The point of the pop-up is to relieve people of their unwanted holiday gives in an easy, accessible way. “We have a unique opportunity to extend the season by helping holiday wishes come true even after Christmas,” Vincent Payen, head of consumer selling at eBay, told WWD. The in-person pop-up will serve as a kiosk in the mall where people can seek cash from the gifts they don’t want. The kiosk has a “selling station” in which people can place their item in a drop box. Participating Westfield locations include Century City in Los Angeles, San Francisco Centre, Vernon Hills, Valley Fair in Santa Clara, Southcenter in Seattle, Citrus Park in Tampa and more.

EBay’s services for re-selling unwanted products are wildly popular online already. However, due to the increase in “unwanted gifts” in the holiday season, the in-person kiosk seems to be a strategic move for the brand. Instead of opting for a return or exchange-only, eBay offers cash and makes it easy to sell in person, online, or through apps. As reported by WWD, “Whether it was a designer sweater that didn’t fit, or an older tablet that has been replaced by a new one, there is always a buyer among our global community of 159 million,” said Payen.