From the Editor – May 9, 2021

May 8, 2021

Online marketplaces reported strong growth in the first quarter of 2021 – but did existing sellers sell more, or did the majority of growth come from new sellers? Unfortunately they …
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With Costs on the Rise, Should You Raise Your Prices?

May 8, 2021

By the big numbers, ecommerce has been flying high during the pandemic. Online sales have soared, as homebound and restless consumers shopped online in greater numbers than ever before. Bill …
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eBay Selling Strategy: Auction versus Buy It Now

May 8, 2021

Should I sell my items as an auction on eBay? Or as a Buy It Now listing? This is the most common question I am asked routinely by both new …
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Collectors Corner: Marvin the Martian

May 8, 2021

If you’ve never seen a Looney Tunes cartoon, you’re not from Earth. Begun by Warner Brothers in 1930 to compete with Walt Disney’s Silly Symphonies, Looney Tunes (along with its …
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EcommerceBytes Soundoff: Letters to the Editor – May 9, 2021

May 8, 2021

In every issue, readers soundoff about issues important to them. From shipping issues to payment processing, from fees to online marketplace policies, EcommerceBytes Soundoff gives you a chance to air …
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eBay Rolls Out New Unpaid Item Policy, May 2021

May 8, 2021

eBay sellers can now cancel orders if the buyer hasn’t paid within 4 days. In reminding sellers of the new policy, eBay updated one key detail: “In our communication in …
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Etsy Runs Flash Sale But Only through Its Mobile App

May 6, 2021

Etsy is running a flash sale on Friday, but only through the Etsy mobile app. The marketplace sent an email to shoppers on Thursday advertising 20% off or more, with …
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Online Sales Grow in April, as Do Total US Retail Sales

May 6, 2021

Online sales rose 20% last month year-over-year, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse. Comparing April 2021 to April 2019, online sales grew 95%. As far as total US retail sales, they grew …
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Etsy Updates Categories to Support Sellers in India

May 6, 2021

Each month, Etsy updates categories and product attributes sellers use to list their products. Among the changes this month, it added new categories tailored to sellers in India. Sellers should …
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Sales on Etsy Grow 144% in First Quarter of 2021

May 5, 2021

Sales on the Etsy marketplace grew 144% to $2.9 billion in the first three months of 2021. Sales including Reverb grew 132% and revenue 141%. In what may be news …
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eBay CEO Makes Case for USPS Reliability, Reduced Regulations

May 5, 2021

eBay sponsored an event for small businesses put on by Politico, and eBay CEO Jamie Iannone keynoted the event where he made an argument for a strong US Postal Service …
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eBay Says It Helped Boost Small Biz during Pandemic

May 5, 2021

eBay said the number of US small businesses on its marketplace grew 34% from April 1 to September 30, 2020, and 38% in sales, crediting its site with helping small …
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Mailchimp Swings into Ecommerce with Stores for Small Biz

May 4, 2021

Mailchimp: It isn’t just for email anymore. The service that helps small businesses send marketing emails to their customers now wants to help them set up online stores. Nearly 40% …
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Verizon Deal Means Likely Rebranding for Yahoo Stores

May 4, 2021

Verizon is selling its Verizon Media unit for $5 billion to Apollo Global Management, Inc, and while Yahoo Small Business will not be included in the sale, it could mean …
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CEO Says eBay Is Looking at Cryptocurrency and NFTs

May 4, 2021

eBay CEO Jamie Iannone’s recent comments about cryptocurrency, as cryptic as they were, caused a stir. Monday’s CNBC interview was not the first time eBay expressed interest in crypto, but …
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Etsy Goes on Defense after Investigation into Illicit Goods

May 4, 2021

After a reporter from Insider reached out to Etsy about illicit goods allegedly available for sale on its marketplace, the company went on defense. “We’re investing at least $40 million …
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USPS to Launch Connect This Summer, Inviting Shippers Into Its Network

May 3, 2021

This summer, the U.S. Postal Service is set to begin an ambitious trial program that will invite online sellers and other shippers to access its network directly for speedy local …
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eBay Sees Dollar Signs with New Seller Ad Models

May 2, 2021

eBay is looking to further monetize its site by adding new advertising models, including Promoted Listings for Auctions and CPC Ads, as well as an “offsite” ad program, and it …
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Amazon Expands In-Garage Delivery Service for Groceries

April 30, 2021

Amazon expanded “Key by Amazon In-Garage Grocery Delivery” to over 5,000 U.S. cities and towns where grocery delivery from Amazon is available. While grocery delivery became more popular due to …
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eBay Raises Price of Packaging with New UK Supplier

April 30, 2021

eBay sellers in the UK will pay more for eBay-branded packaging beginning May 1, 2021. eBay informed sellers that the higher prices were due to increased demand and the rising …
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eBay and Walmart Prohibit Use of Amazon Logistics

April 29, 2021

Amazon told sellers who use its Multi-Channel Fulfillment service about a new feature it’s adding when new fulfillment fees go into effect on June 1st. Multi-Channel Fulfillment is like FBA, …
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Why Amazon Is Moving Prime Day to June

April 29, 2021

Amazon explained why it’s moving Prime Day up in the calendar this year – and said it had actually intended to do so last year. CEO Brian Olsavsky said Amazon …
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Amazon Grows Sales 44% in First Quarter of 2021

April 29, 2021

Amazon grew total sales 44% in the first three months of 2021 for its entire business, including the Amazon Marketplace. Sellers accounted for 55% of Amazon worldwide paid units (excluding …
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Sales on eBay Grew 29% in the First Quarter of 2021

April 28, 2021

eBay Gross Merchandise Volume grew 29% in the first three months of 2021, or 24% on an FX-neutral basis (foreign exchange). Meanwhile, eBay took in $3 billion in revenue, up …
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Stripe Acquires TaxJar, Because Taxes Are Hard

April 27, 2021

Online sellers are increasingly burdened with tax regulations at every jurisdictional level, at home and abroad. On Tuesday, payments platform Stripe announced it will acquire TaxJar to help online businesses …
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Cowen Reports on eBay’s Fastest Growing Categories

April 27, 2021

eBay’s fastest growing categories in the first three months of 2021 were Electronics, Apparel, Sporting Goods, and Home, according to Wall Street firm Cowen and Company. Cowen published a research …
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eBay CEOs Received $77.9 Million in 2020

April 26, 2021

Figures released on Monday reveal that the sudden departure of eBay CEO Devin Wenig in September 2019 proved costly for the company beyond his $57 million exit package that year …
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Amazon Matches Small Biz with Trademark Lawyers

April 26, 2021

Amazon expanded its IP Accelerator program to Canada. The service helps connect small businesses with lawyers so they can secure their brands’ trademarks and intellectual property rights. The program launched …
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eBay Rolls Out Custom Coupon Capability

April 25, 2021

eBay sellers who pay extra to have a Store on the platform can now customize coupons to entice shoppers to buy. eBay had announced the new capability as part of …
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Tophatter Is for Online Shoppers Who Want to Play Around

April 25, 2021

Discount marketplace Tophatter announced new integrated games to make online shopping more fun and engaging. Earlier this month, it said customers could earn points and redeem rewards, giving them an …
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