Bay on Amazon!

Why has eBay got into direct customer retailing directly taking a competition from Online Retailers like Amazon? I haven't been tracking the performance of eBay lately, but my assumption is this bidding market is a never ending business cycle. Everyone has stuffs which they want to sell for a cheaper price and so my guess is, eBay can never get down from profit.
So, once again - Why has eBay shifted gears or rather, has added a new gear? Well, this is a right move because the concept is exactly inside the ring of company philosophy, policy & theme. But is it because eBay has been seeing people ending up not buying anything in their site and eventually buying at some other online retail store? There can be 2 more reasons. Increasing number of individuals are buying brand new products online instead of walking into stores. Also, buying all gift products online is the latest style & fashion. I feel, this move by eBay sure threatens some market share off of Amazon & other online retailers.
Is this the right time to start eBay express? If it is going to be profitable, starting at any time doesn't matter. But, has this been started well ahead during the holiday season, eBay Express would sure have made a difference in its 05 Last Quarter & 06 Starting Quarter financial performance. Once it has had a good start, then it is going to sustain. SO, lets see how this performs during the Spring Quarter of 2006.