eBay (News - Alert) is set to launch a new experiment this month with virtual stores known as “shoppable windows.” From June 8 to July 7, the online auction e-commerce company will open four interactive screens in active areas of New York City including the lower east side and SoHo.

The 24 hour “shoppable window” touch screens, measuring nine feet wide and two feet long, will allow shoppers to directly place orders and schedule a delivery within an hour to anywhere in the city via courier. Upon delivery, a payment system has been established through PayPal (News - Alert) Here. Set to appear on the front windows of closed stores, the screens will be located at 18th Street, Spring Street, Orchard Street and Gansevoort Street.

The first four screens will be selling items from a new fashion brand by retailer Fifth & Pacific Companies Inc, Kate Spade Saturday. Customers will be able to browse a catalog of 30 different products that will update every Saturday.

The new investment is aimed to increase revenue of the virtual stores’ existing physical counterparts. The project is also part of eBay’s recent efforts to collaborate with large retailers looking to connect with online and mobile consumers.

Steve Yankovich (News - Alert), head of eBay’s Innovation and New Ventures group and developer of the technology, says this is representative of the shift to mobile shopping and optimizes use of inventory space.

"This extends the boundary of the store. Suddenly the physical store, by virtue of online technology, extends to any space that's interesting to use," Yankovich told Reuters.  

If successful, there are plans to expand the venture to add windows for other Fifth & Pacific Brands such as Juicy Couture and Kate Spade New York. eBay pursued a similar project in late 2011 by setting up a window display in NYC, however, it did not allow shoppers to make purchases on-screen.