eBay goes Dutch with Marktplaats.nl buy

Deal worth €225m...

eBay is expanding its presence in the Netherlands with the acquisition of Dutch classifieds website Marktplaats.nl.

The online trading giant will pay approximately €225m in cash for the company, which it is buying from Het Goed Beheer BV, an owner of second-hand retail stores.

While eBay is looking to build its Dutch business, Frank Crebas, managing director at Marktplaats.nl, said in a statement his company is looking to benefit from eBay's "strong global presence and technical expertise".

Based in Emmeloord, five-year-old Marktplaats.nl is the most popular online trading site in the Netherlands, and claims to have more than one million listings available at any time.

Marktplaats.nl will operate as a separate business and eBay does not expect the deal to have a substantial impact on its revenues or turnover for 2004 or 2005.