Norwich tops tide of eBay users

Sarah Hunt's hobby has turned into a business

Norwich has been tagged the eBay capital of the UK, with almost half of its internet-savvy population using the online auction site.

A survey by eBay, which registered its 10 millionth UK user this week, shows since its launch in 1999 44% of Norwich people have registered with the site.

The Cambridge figure is 42% and seven other towns and cities in the region make the top 50 list.

Web User Magazine's Daniel Booth says Norwich users are "internet savvy".

He dismissed one theory that puts the high level of users down to the city having a long history as a trading centre.

East's eBay users' league 1 Norwich, Norfolk 44% 2 Cambridge, Cambs 42% 15 Ipswich, Suffolk 26% 17 Peterborough, Cambs 23% 25 Northampton, Northants 21% 30 Stevenage, Beds 20% 32 Colchester, Essex 20% 37 Milton Keynes, Bucks 19% 48 Chelmsford, Essex 17%

"I think it is something to do with its geographical remoteness and something to do with internet-savviness.

"Why people in Norfolk are especially internet savvy is something of a mystery," he said.

His geography theory is supported by one eBay regular, Norfolk mother-of-two Sarah Hunt, whose interest in Action Man has turned from a hobby into a business.

"Because we are in Norfolk we are that little bit away from the all main events that go on for collecting, You can sit at home and you don't have to burn up petrol looking for things," she said.

Clare Laws says her charity made £1,000 from eight items

Jenny Syer, 20, of Norwich, began selling her unwanted possessions on the site two years ago and was so successful she was able to use her profits to open a gift shop in the city.

"We post as far as Australia, America - all over Europe and all over the UK as well. Of course, a great proportion of our sales are on eBay," she said.

Some high street shops have suffered with the growing tide of internet trading but the Cancer Research charity shop in Ely, Cambridgeshire, has just made £1,000 selling eight items online.

"Some items which would have fetched maybe £20 in the shops have gone for, say, £50 on the internet," said Clare Laws, of the charity.