Enable Holdings, which operates the uBid.com auction site, launched a new strategy last year to focus solely on liquidating excess inventories for top-brand manufacturers. Earlier this year, eBay said it intended to become the leader in secondary marketplace. AuctionBytes caught up with CEO Jeffrey Hoffman to find out what why so much attention is being paid to the secondary markets.

Enable Holdings commissioned a study last year that showed the secondary markets is a multi-billion dollar global problem in every category. "There's huge margin in solving the problem," Hoffman said. "It's the hidden industry, because nobody wants to talk about how poorly they might be doing in retail and what products aren't selling."

In a podcast interview, Hoffman talks about some of the key differentiators between Enable Holdings and companies such as Overstock.com and eBay, including Enable's offline channels (which Overstock and eBay do not offer) and its ability to take inventory positions (which eBay does not do). He also revealed a new position at the company called "Inventory Acquisition Consultant," employees who help clients optimize across all of Enable Holding's online and offline channels in order to get the best recovery for the clients' excess inventory.

Hoffman also discusses whether the auction format is still a viable strategy for liquidators, and whether the down economy is hurting or helping liquidators.

You can listen to the complete podcast interview with Enable Holdings' Jeffrey Hofman on the AuctionBytes Ecommerce Industry SoundBytes