SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Finding the right gear for college that expresses who you are at the right price can be tough. A recent survey of college students by eBay¹ found that the majority (79%) have to shop at multiple retailers to get what they need, and nearly all (96%) wish there were more deals.  To help students make their mark on campus and add more color to their college kick-off, eBay has teamed up with college alumni – actress and model Olivia Culpo and professional basketball star Karl-Anthony Towns – to share their curated collections of shoppable must-haves at eBay.com/BackToCollege.

Culpo and Towns, no strangers to embracing their own style and expressing themselves on screen or on the court, are sharing their shoppable college finds on their social channels and on eBay.com/BackToCollege, where students can also find exclusive deals on hot items like laptops, headphones, denim, sneakers, closet organizers, and more, for their last-minute shopping needs.

“I remember how overwhelming it was to shop for college when I was in Boston,” said Culpo. “I wanted to find items that expressed my personal style and suited my budget. There are so many amazing new and unique finds on eBay that I know will inspire everyone going back to school this semester.”

“Shopping as a seven-foot-tall basketball player can be tricky, but eBay has cool gear that fits my style – and size,” said Towns, who studied in Kentucky. “I’ve teamed up with eBay to share my top picks for my fans whether they’re on the court, in the classroom or in their dorm.”

A+ Deals & Discounts

All month long, students can find deals on everything they need to deck out their dorm like nobody else on eBay. With more than 1.1 billion listings and 80 percent of items sold as new, shoppers can find exactly what they need at the best value, delivered when they need it. 

• Browse the Back to College collection on Facebook Messenger with eBay ShopBot – a personalized shopping assistant powered by Artificial Intelligence.
• Beginning on August 23^rd, students who spend $25 or more on select items on eBay.com/BackToCollege are eligible to receive 10 percent off by using the code P10COLLEGE.
• A variety of deals and discounts are available across hundreds of the hottest and best back to school essentials.

“From incoming freshman to rising seniors, shoppers want items that reflect their individuality at an amazing value, all in one place,” said Suzy Deering, Chief Marketing Officer of eBay North America. “eBay makes it easy to confidently kick off the new school year by providing a wide selection of merchandise and deals for students from kindergarten to college, when they need it most.”

Giving Back

Nearly all students want their college purchases to give back to charity (89%) and wish it were easier to do so (87%).¹ This season, eBay is enabling them to make their purchases more meaningful by donating at check-out to Teach for America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and mobilizing future leaders to grow and strengthen the movement for educational equity and excellence.

eBay ‘Totally You’ Tour

eBay is making it easier than ever for students to add more color to their college kick-off by heading to nine campuses across the country. Students can take quizzes through eBay ShopBot to receive personalized back to school shopping collections featuring items curated just for them, and win prizes on hot items like smartphones, backpacks and more.

• 8/22 – University of Iowa
• 8/24 – Kansas State University
• 8/28 – University of Utah
• 8/31 – Arizona State University
• 9/5 – Texas A&M University
• 9/8 – Villanova University
• 9/13 – George Washington University
• 9/18 – Georgia State University

For more, visit eBay.com/BackToCollege and follow @eBay on social.

eBay By the Numbers

• eBay has 171 million active buyers worldwide
• 81% of all merchandise sold on eBay is new, and our wide selection keeps growing
• 87% of items sold on eBay are Buy It Now – no bidding necessary
• 67% of items ship for free
• 200 Laptops are bought every hour²
• 46 Backpacks are bought every hour²

About eBay
eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) is a global commerce leader including the Marketplace, StubHub and Classifieds platforms. Collectively, we connect millions of buyers and sellers around the world, empowering people and creating opportunity through Connected Commerce. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay is one of the world’s largest and most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. In 2016, eBay enabled $84 billion of gross merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.

¹The eBay ‘Back to School’ online survey was conducted by Edelman Intelligence among a total of 500 college students ages 18+ in August 2017.
²Based on items sold on ebay.com 6/3/17 – 8/1/17.

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SOURCE eBay Inc.