Amazon Marketplace Offers the Chance to Buy and Sell a Huge Selection of Used, Collectible and New Items at a variety of prices

Amazon.co.jp (www.amazon.co.jp) is the leading online retail site providing more than 4 million titles of book, CD, DVD, video, software and videogame titles. Today Amazon.co.jp launches a new service, the Amazon Marketplace. (http://www.amazon.co.jp/marketplace/)

The Amazon Marketplace provides a platform that allows third parties to buy and sell new, used and collectible items on the same page as Amazon's product information. Marketplace offers Amazon's customers an even wider range of goods, allowing them to select from used, collectible and new items.

By offering this wide range of items at a variety of prices, Marketplace allows customers to try a book, CD DVD, video, software or videogame from a new author, artist or genre easily at the price of used items. Thus, the Marketplace gives shoppers the opportunity to find and discover products that they may have been hesitant to experiment with at a higher price point of new items.

Marketplace displays items from individuals who want to sell a small number of their belongings, or companies or merchants who want to sell a large volume of items at once. Amazon.co.jp will also mark the launch of Marketplace with the opening of the Used Store. With the launch of Marketplace, we will now be able to offer over 5.5 million titles to which third party sellers can list for sale on the site. Customers will be able to make purchases while comparing the price and condition of items and even to place orders for the items they want at a particular price or a certain condition. Amazon.co.jp's Customer Review, My Page, and other handy functions are also available.

On the launch of Amazon.co.jp's Marketplace, Jasper Cheung, President of Amazon Japan KK, says, “Amazon aims to provide its customers with the best possible shopping experience. Customers can find and discover new items from its huge selection, including additional used and collectible as well as new items through Marketplace. We expect that Marketplace will bring customers increased choice and wider selection in shopping and will provide value to both buyers and sellers.”

Amazon Marketplace began in the U.S. in November 2000, and since then has achieved remarkable growth. Marketplace also commenced operations on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.de in March this year. In the third quarter of 2002, third party seller transactions, including Marketplace, grew to 23% of North American units, compared with 16% of units a year ago.

*Please see appendix for further details on Amazon Marketplace

About Amazon.co.jp 
Amazon.co.jp opened its virtual doors in November 2000, and strives to be the world's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online at a great price. Amazon.co.jp today offers millions of Japanese and foreign language titles, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC & video games. Through Amazon Anywhere™, Amazon's leading mobile commerce platform, Amazon.co.jp is also accessible via i-mode and EZweb wireless devices at http://amazon.co.jp. Amazon.co.jp customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; COD payment; personalised recommendations; streamlined, 1-Click® ordering. 

Amazon.co.jp is one of five internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle USA; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr, the German-language site Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.

For all media inquiries please contact:

Amazon.co.jp PR
Kumiko Inayoshi / Megumi Miyazaki
Press Inquiries Tel: 03-4288-4020
Press e-mail : press@amazon.co.jp 

Or contact :
PR Agent: Publicis K.K. 
Chie Hayakawa
Tel: 03-3350-8409
E-mail: chie.hayakawa@publicis.co.jp

For all customer inquiries please contact: 
Amazon.co.jp Customer Service
E-mail: info@amazon.co.jp
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