Ebay is to launch a new service which will share its customer shopping habit data with retailers in physical locations.

The Retail Associate Platform is already live in the US and will go live in the UK before the end of next year. Customers have to opt in and agree for their details to be shared.

The platform lets retailers look at products shoppers have previously expressed an interest in, but haven’t purchased. In some instances, product recommendations can also be tied to the shopper’s activities.

Ebay PayPal customers can check-in with their smartphones when they walk into a retail centre and retail assistants are then served information on shoppers’ previous purchases and their product preferences via an app.

David Geisinger, head of retail business strategy at eBay Enterprise, said: “The app is the next generation of in-store retail – empowering associates with the right tools to deliver customized shopping experiences to consumers in real-time.

“It’s a huge opportunity for both retailers and shoppers.”