Austin, Houston, Dallas Most Impatient Cities.

eBay Express Study Finds Texans Outrun New Yorkers, Californians

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Austin, Texas is the most impatient city in America, according to new research which examined where Americans are least likely to wait for the day-to-day conveniences of modern life.

Houston ranked third and Dallas, fifth in the study1 which was commissioned by eBay Express (NASDAQ:EBAY) and conducted by Guideline, Inc., an independent research firm. The study pinpoints exactly where Americans want, expect and are willing to pay for speed and convenience.

The "Most Impatient Cities" study examined the top 20 American cities, assessing on a per-capita basis the number of convenience-oriented services available to help them avoid long lines, traffic jams and wasted time. The study examined the prevalence of convenience stores, "in and out" gyms (featuring 20- or 30-minute workouts), availability of city government services online, quick copy shops, one-hour cleaners and photo developers, quick-change oil shops, overnight delivery service centers, speed dating services and Wi-Fi hot spots, among others.

While patience may be a virtue, the study showed that impatience is a way of life for Americans as they become increasingly time-starved. And Americans want quicker ways to look and feel good fast: the most impatient cities all have significantly more "in and out" gyms and one-hour photo shops to get their citizens ready to do something else in a hurry: speed dating.

"Americans with lots to do and not enough time tend to be impatient," says Peter Turla, co-author of "Time Management Made Easy". "Many people need help managing their time, and are desperate to find smart ways to get more done. For example, instead of cooking at home or dining in a restaurant, they purchase convenience-store food for immediate consumption. Busy Americans demand services that offer fast results."

Austin beat out other contenders by a slim margin with the highest per capita "in and out" gyms, quick-copy centers and quick-change oil services. The city also ranked second in the number of Wi-Fi hot spots and convenience stores, per capita.

The growth of the technology industry and its role as the state capital were cited by the Guideline researchers as possible explanations for the city's preponderance of ways for residents to get what they want, when they want it. Austin citizens so crave convenience that the city is now building a toll road that wraps around the city (State Highway 130) that will only accept electronic tolls - paying cash apparently takes too long.

While Indianapolis zoomed into the second spot, by finishing in the top half of the rankings in every category, America's third most impatient city - Houston - wasn't far behind. The city finished in the top half of every category but one, "In & Out" Gyms. And Dallas tied with Jacksonville and Baltimore for fifth place. The city ranked third in quick service restaurants, fourth in speed dating services and fifth in one hour cleaners and quick copy centers.

The cities presumed by many Americans to be the fastest-paced may not really be that way. Los Angeles shuffled in at number 17 on the list, and New York slogged along behind, ranking 19th in the nation on the impatience quotient.

"Americans today have this intensified need to get things done quickly and efficiently, including their shopping. And we designed eBay Express to help time-starved consumers find what they need quickly and easily, to quell their impatience," says Lara Bridges Housser, director of eBay Express.

AMERICA GETS ANTSIER IN THE LAST DECADE

The deficit of free time is a national trend, and finding ways to make up time is a growing movement. As the pace of life in this country has increased, businesses and services have sprouted to meet that demand. In the past decade, there has been a 45 percent increase in sales at quick service restaurants, according to National Restaurant Association data. And the number of convenience stores has grown 39 percent during the same period, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores.

Looking good, feeling good and making connections also happen more quickly these days, especially in the top ten most impatient cities. In the past five years, speed-dating services, which largely started up in 2001, have sponsored thousands of events nationwide. And Web-based services for time-pressed citizens have mushroomed, too: online government agencies, where drivers can pay taxes and speeding tickets for example, now number in the thousands.

THE RUNNERS-UP: COMING ON STRONG

* When the fog lifts, you'll see the residents of San Francisco, the 4th most impatient city, on the move, with more Wi-Fi hot spots per capita than any U.S. city.

* Baltimore, Dallas and Jacksonville tied for fifth place. Baltimore, the Charm City, topped the list in speed dating services; Dallas residents rarely have to brave city government lines because they can do most of their civic business online; and Jacksonville, Florida offers its citizens the opportunity for quick work-outs in its preponderance of "in and out" gyms.

About the Study

This study was conducted in August 2006 by Guideline, Inc. To develop a list of the most impatient cities and identify data that would demonstrate the growth in impatience, Guideline examined and/or used the following resources: electronic databases and directories, Guideline proprietary resource center of subject and company files, subscription Internet content, trade journals and business periodicals, market and investment research reports, and government publications and databases. While the selected cities were chosen by total population, the overall impatience of a city was evaluated through a per capita framework. Though best efforts were made, Guideline utilized and relied on many sources, and as such, may not have been able to take all sources of error into account.

About eBay

Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world. Through an array of services, such as its payment solution provider PayPal, eBay is enabling global e-commerce for an ever-growing online community.

Launched in April 2006, eBay Express is a new Web site within the eBay marketplace that provides U.S. shoppers with an easy way to find new items at fixed prices from experienced eBay merchants. With millions of items to choose from, eBay Express is designed for convenience-oriented buyers who want to make their purchases quickly, without waiting for auction-style listings to end. Visit eBay Express at www.ebayexpress.com.

About Guideline, Inc.

Founded in 1969, Guideline (OTCBB:GDLN) is the nation's premier provider of customized research and analysis designed to help companies make more informed decisions about critical business issues. Our suite of research capabilities includes Custom Market Research, Strategic Intelligence and On-Demand Research. Guideline specializes in nearly all major industries, including healthcare and pharmaceuticals, consumer packaged goods, financial and business services, media and entertainment, and manufacturing. Guideline, Inc. is located at 625 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y., 10011. More information is available by calling 212-645-4500 or visiting www.guideline.com.

1 Unlike an opinion survey, the study was conducted using publicly-available records, and reflects trends in businesses that have sprung up to meet the needs of busy Americans.