EBay has outlined ambitious plans to attract more retailers to its site to sell fix-priced merchandise as it seeks to ditch its flea market image.

The site, which established itself as an online auction house, has been shifting its focus to target bigger sellers.

From September 24, listing fees will be significantly reduced and a new system of fees introduced, based on factors such as sales volumes and customer service. In some cases, sellers will pay as little as a penny to list one or multiple items. EBay will also stop charging a fee to have a picture of the item for sale featured in search results.

The way buyers browse items will also change. The main focus will no longer be on the time remaining before the end of an auction but on the popularity of items. Fixed-priced goods will also be given more prominence.

It will also be possible for -buyers to be insured for goods up to the value of£30,000, the upper limit is£500 at present. Sellers will also receive higher coverage and it will be possible to make all purchases via payment service PayPal.

EBay has been growing its fixed-price offer 60 per cent year on year. It now accounts for 43 per cent of sales.

Schuh, Comet and Littlewoods Clearance are among the retailers that currently use the site to sell surplus stock.

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