News Details

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers launches world's first 21-language equipment auction web site

April 20, 2010

Industry-leading rbauction.com offers multi-lingual equipment search, auction results and online bidding

MUNICH, GERMANY (April 20, 2010) – Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA), the world’s largest auctioneer of heavy equipment, officially launched its powerful industry-leading, 21-language web site (www.rbauction.com) at the bauma trade show in Munich, Germany this week (April 19 – 25, 2010).

Millions of unique visitors already use the Ritchie Bros. web site annually, purchasing more than US$830 million of equipment online in 2009 alone. The new rbauction.com delivers the world’s largest used equipment inventory, largest database of auction results and equipment specifications, and more features in more languages than any other equipment auction web site.

Key features of the new rbauction.com include:

  • Current auction inventory and equipment search now in 21 languages
  • Auction results now in 14 languages with equipment photos
  • Live online bidding service now in seven languages
  • Online bidding amounts and Auction Results in your preferred currency
  • Enhanced search functionality: find items by make, model, auction details, lot number or serial number
  • Zoomable, high-resolution equipment photos
  • Side-by-side equipment comparison tool: compare by make, model, usage, specifications and auction
  • Fully functional account services in 14 languages, featuring saved searches, a personal Watchlist and customized email alerts

“I am glad that the Ritchie Bros. web site will soon also appear in Greek,” said Timoleon Papadakis of Tripolis, Greece, who does not speak English and has been buying equipment at Ritchie Bros. auctions since 2003. “Being able to search for equipment in Greek will be very helpful for all Greek customers and will probably bring more. It will make it a lot easier to do business with Ritchie Bros. I hope they plan on having auctions in Greece soon.”

Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, Ritchie Bros. has 40 auction sites in 10 countries and more than 620,000 customers in over 200 countries. Ritchie Bros. sold more than 283,000 lots at more than 325 unreserved public auctions worldwide in 2009. Each year the company’s web site, rbauction.com, receives millions of unique visitors searching for used equipment, upcoming auctions, selling prices from recent auctions and other information. One in three bidders at Ritchie Bros. auctions participate in auctions live and in real time at rbauction.com.

“We serve a global market of equipment buyers and sellers; our goal is to provide as much information and as many services as possible to them in their own language,” said Stephen Branch, Ritchie Bros. Vice President. “The new rbauction.com is a powerful tool for equipment users. Our customers have always been able to find the equipment they need at our auctions; now they can find more information in their language to make informed buying decisions. At the same time, sellers will benefit from increased exposure through rbauction.com and interest from a wider global bidding audience.”

Mr. Branch continued: “Our company has a long history of innovation, from the development of the ramp style of equipment auction to the introduction of real-time internet bidding and now to the world’s most comprehensive, multi-lingual used equipment web site. We think our customers will be just as excited about the new rbauction.com as we are and we look forward to welcoming even more visitors from around the world to our web site – and our auctions.”

Quick Facts about the NEW rbauction.com

  • Current inventory equipment search in 21 languages
  • More than 80 upcoming auctions and over 30,000 items currently listed
  • Auction results in 14 languages
  • More than 856,000 items currently listed in auction results, which includes selling prices from the past 24 months of Ritchie Bros. auctions
  • Languages offered: English, North American French, European French, Latin American Spanish, European Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, Turkish, simplified Chinese traditional Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Greek, Russian, Indonesian, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese

Other rbauction.com statistics

  • 29.6 million equipment searches (2009)
  • 2.3 million auction results searches (2009)
  • 30% more unique visitors in 2009 than 2008
  • Close to 130,000 people from 196 countries are approved to bid online at rbauction.com
  • US$3.4 billion of equipment sold to online bidders since Ritchie Bros. introduced the service in 2002
  • Directly linked to the world’s largest equipment specifications database (www.RitchieWiki.com), which contains specifications for more than 11,300 different equipment items

About Ritchie Bros.
Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is the world’s largest industrial auctioneer, selling more equipment to on-site and online bidders than any other company in the world. The Company has over 110 locations in more than 25 countries, including 40 auction sites worldwide. Ritchie Bros. sells, through unreserved public auctions, a broad range of used and unused industrial assets, including equipment, trucks and other assets utilized in the construction, transportation, agricultural, material handling, mining, forestry, petroleum and marine industries. The Company maintains a web site at www.rbauction.com and sponsors an equipment wiki at www.RitchieWiki.com.
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For more information contact:            
Kim Schulz, Manager, Corporate Communications, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
Phone: +1.778.331.5442 or email kschulz@rbauction.com
Or
Alexander Ypeij, Corporate Communications Specialist, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
Phone +31.651.500.074 or email aypeij@rbauction.com
Or
Stephen Branch, Vice President, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
Phone: +1.604.377.2030