Ebay’s Global Fashion GM on Secondhand, Sustainability, and the Say-Do Gap

Kirsty Keoghan is responsible for eBay’s global fashion business. She joins Natalie to discuss the evolution of the fashion category on the platform, emphasizing the importance of a frictionless experience for both buyers and sellers, and the trust built through authenticity guarantees. Kirsty shares how the competitive landscape is evolving and the impact of eBay’s decision to remove fees for private sellers.

The discussion also touches on how consumer attitudes towards preloved are changing, what makes the marketplace model so attractive to legacy retailers, the integration of AI in enhancing the shopping experience, and the future trends that could drive further adoption of secondhand shopping.

📺 This is a video episode and can watched on the Retail Disrupted YouTube channel here.

This episode is sponsored by the Richmond Retail and E-commerce Directors’ Forum. For more info, including how to register for the event, visit: https://www.richmondevents.com/forums/details/ret25

Kirsty’s bio:

Kirsty Keoghan is eBay’s Global GM of Fashion, where she is responsible for the company’s global fashion business. Since joining eBay in 2011, Kirsty has led a number of initiatives, including the launch of free fashion selling, the pivotal pre-loved fashion partnership with Love Island and the successful launch of Authenticity Guarantee in the UK.

She has been leading the charge in repositioning eBay as a destination for buying and selling authentic high-end items. All of which has culminated in Kirsty being recognised in Retail Week’s Future Leaders 2023 list and The Tech List 2024. Kirsty is also an eBay seller herself, having joined the platform in 2007.

Prior to joining eBay, Kirsty had a decade-long career working at some of the UK’s biggest fashion brands, including Arcadia Group, M&S, TK Maxx, and Brand Alley.

Kirsty is mother to two fashion-obsessed kids, and loves to shop herself, investing in a mix of new and pre-loved classic pieces.