Auction site flooded with sell-out items
Almost as soon as the Kate Moss range hit Topshop stores on Tuesday, eBay was flooded with auctions for sell-out items.

As Retail Week went to press, eBay users were auctioning nearly 4,000 Kate Moss garments, from the pansy-print dress to a sequinned waistcoast. The auctions took place despite Topshop's strict policy of five items per customer limited to one size, which was partly designed to limit the stock that would be resold online.

However, eBay's selling prices were not at a significant premium to the retail price, with dresses going for about£70 and waistcoats for about£50, against actual prices of£45 to£60 and£35 to£45 respectively.

Topshop owner Sir Philip Green told Retail Week that that, in some respects, sales on eBay can be taken as a compliment. 'You can't avoid it completely. When people don't want to talk about us, buy what we buy or do what we do, that's when we would worry,' he said.

The Kate Moss range almost sold out within two days. Only a few items, including sunglasses and larger sizes, were available to buy at Topshop.co.uk on Wednesday morning.

Seperately, Green was linked to a bid for fashionable US department store chain Barneys this week. The Kate Moss for Topshop range will go on sale in Barneys stores next week.

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