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eBay, retail partner to open NY shop with touch-screen window

eBay CEO John Donahoe says the company is working with a major retailer in the city on the store, to open this summer. eBay confirmed its partner is Kate Spade Saturday.

Shara Tibken Former managing editor
Shara Tibken was a managing editor at CNET News, overseeing a team covering tech policy, EU tech, mobile and the digital divide. She previously covered mobile as a senior reporter at CNET and also wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. Shara is a native Midwesterner who still prefers "pop" over "soda."
Shara Tibken
2 min read
eBay CEO John Donahoe speaks Tuesday at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in New York. Shara Tibken/CNET
NEW YORK--eBay is working with Kate Spade on a pop-up shop in New York that will feature a digital touch-screen storefront window, the e-commerce and digital payments giant said Tuesday.

CEO John Donahoe, speaking at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in New York earlier today, said the store will launch this summer and will allow eBay to reach consumers away from its traditional Web site. Donahoe at the time did not name the retailer.

An eBay spokesperson later told CNET that Kate Spade Saturday will be the partner for the pop-up shop. The spokesperson didn't provide other details about the store or the partnership beyond saying it will share more information at a later date.

"Technology is blurring the lines between online and offline commerce and a 'new retail' environment is emerging. One example of how eBay is partnering with retailers to provide innovative technology solutions is the work we continue to do with the Kate Spade brands and we are excited to be partnering with them on the launch of Kate Spade Saturday in New York."

The company has made a big push into mobile and has positioned itself as a sort of mission control for mobile, Donahoe said, helping with the entire flow instead of just allowing people to shop and make payments.

Donahoe noted innovative efforts, like the store in New York, are a big area of investment for eBay.

"You will see more and more of that," he said.

Donahoe sees the store aligning well with eBay's belief that mobile is changing how people shop. The iPad "has put the consumer in charge of the media business," he said, and mobile is having the same effect on retail. People want to shop where they want, whenever they want, Donahoe said.

Donahoe believes people will use multiple screens in a shopping experience.

"We see a world where consumers will be multiscreen and access the Web in multiple places," he said. "We're building mobile applications that are seamless across those screens."

Updated at 12:50 p.m. PT with information about Kate Spade.