Vets Turned Entrepreneurs Win FedEx Small-Business Contest

April 25, 2018 12:12 am

Ex Army officers who served in Afghanistan are the winners of the sixth annual FedEx Small Business Grant Contest. FedEx awarded $120,500 to the top ten winners and shares the …
Read More

Amazon Pay Woos Online Merchants and Developers

April 24, 2018 11:52 pm

Amazon is a major sponsor at this week’s Magento Imagine developers conference and touted the benefits of its services, including its Amazon Pay payments solution for online merchants. Attendee John …
Read More

Magento Helps Build Online Stores with App-Like Experiences

April 24, 2018 11:06 pm

Magento Commerce announced a new suite of tools to help developers build online stores with app-like experiences. The new PWA Studio promises better shopping experiences to deliver higher conversion rates …
Read More

eBay Seeks Political Capital with Training Programs

April 24, 2018 3:29 pm

eBay has always been careful to cultivate its image as an enabler of entrepreneurs and small businesses, and as Amazon faces scrutiny from many corners, eBay has launched new programs …
Read More

Amazon Launches In-Car Delivery

April 24, 2018 8:37 am

Just as Amazon wants the smart-key to your front door to deliver your items inside, the ecommerce giant now wants to deliver items inside your car. Amazon Prime members who …
Read More

Amazon Buy Shipping Launches Print Connect

April 23, 2018 4:39 pm

Amazon offers sellers the ability to purchase shipping through its platform for non-FBA orders, called Amazon Buy Shipping and available in Seller Central. It launched a new feature that gives …
Read More

Amazon to Waive FBA Removal Fees Thanks to LTS Fee Changes

April 21, 2018 10:40 pm

Amazon is temporarily allowing sellers who use its FBA fulfillment service to remove slow-selling inventory at no charge thanks to fee changes it had announced in March. On March 1st, …
Read More

eBay CEO Devin Wenig Joins GM Board

April 20, 2018 9:24 pm

eBay CEO Devin Wenig was appointed to the board of General Motors. The company said he brings his “significant expertise in technology, global operations and strategic planning” to the board …
Read More

ShipStation Adds New Scan to Print Feature

April 20, 2018 5:40 pm

ShipStation added a new feature called “Scan to Print” to help online sellers be more efficient when printing shipping labels. ShipStation is web-based shipping solution that helps merchants import, organize, …
Read More

eBay Delays Fee Change for Multi-Category Listings

April 20, 2018 3:42 pm

eBay now wants to discourage sellers from listing a single item in multiple categories, and in February, the company announced a fee change as part of that effort. Under the …
Read More

Amazon Opens Massive ‘Inbound Cross Dock’ Distribution Center

April 20, 2018 3:38 pm

Amazon opened a state of the art logistics center in Germany, calling it its first “Inbound Cross Dock” distribution center (IXD) in Europe (redistribution centers in Amazon logistics parlance). Items …
Read More

Amazon Makes It Easier for Foreign Shoppers to Buy US Goods via Mobile

April 19, 2018 1:37 pm

Amazon is making it easier for foreign shoppers to buy items from its US website by launching the “International Shopping” experience on its Amazon Shopping App. International customers can shop …
Read More

Another Made-Up Shopping Holiday: Way Day

April 19, 2018 11:24 am

Many holidays have become commercialized (PayPal just sent out a marketing email today touting “Mother’s Day gifts up to 60% off”), and now companies are making up their own holidays …
Read More

eBay Entices New Sellers with Updated App for Quick Listing

April 19, 2018 10:22 am

eBay can seem schizophrenic in how it treats sellers. On the one hand, it puts a lot of hurdles in front of serious sellers (even those selling part-time). At the …
Read More

Etsy Helps Sellers Optimize Listings with Category Assistance

April 19, 2018 10:17 am

Etsy announced a new feature to help sellers optimize their listings. When sellers add a category to new listings or update existing listings, it will help them select the best …
Read More

Amazon Jeff Bezos announcing Best Buy collaboration

Best Buy to Sell New Fire Smart TVs on Amazon.com

April 18, 2018 3:20 pm

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said Wednesday he’s taking the company’s longstanding partnership with retail chain Best Buy to a “new level.” The companies are collaborating on new TVs that Best …
Read More

Etsy Offers Pay-to-Play Email Marketing Campaigns

April 18, 2018 1:22 pm

Etsy updated its Sales and Coupons tool so sellers can now send special targeted offers in the form of a unique coupon code directly to shoppers who’ve added the seller’s …
Read More

Walmart Heralds Ecommerce Revamp Coming in May

April 17, 2018 4:12 pm

Walmart will unveil a new website next month, calling it a dramatic step change. The site will have a new look and feel and will feature more local and personalized …
Read More

Highlights from eBay CEO Devin Wenig’s Letter to Shareholders

April 16, 2018 10:44 pm

The CEO of eBay began his letter to shareholders with some dire warnings, advising them of increased scrutiny and regulation of tech companies and warning of a pending battle between …
Read More

Sales Tax Threatens One of the World’s Oldest Professions

April 16, 2018 8:21 pm

Auctioneering is one of the world’s oldest professions, a national trade association told the Supreme Court in an amicus brief filed this month in South Dakota vs Wayfair, which could …
Read More

Federal Government Backs States in Fight over Sales Tax

April 16, 2018 9:52 am

The United States government is siding with (most) states over the sales tax debate and cited the national economy and the states’ “financial stability.” On Friday, the Supreme Court granted …
Read More

From the Editor – April 15, 2018

April 14, 2018 5:48 pm

We broke the news Friday that Target is no longer selling on eBay (thanks to a reader and some alert sellers on Down Detector). The company told us it is …
Read More

The Flipper Brief: Amazon Seller Briefs Supreme Court on Sales Tax

April 14, 2018 5:45 pm

An Amazon seller told the Supreme Court that current and proposed state tax laws are unfair and explained how they burden small business owners like himself. He made the argument …
Read More

Can You Learn from eBay’s Tips on Reducing Returns?

April 14, 2018 5:44 pm

eBay sent a mass email to sellers on March 26 about their return rates, in some cases warning recipients the rate was “too high.” Each email was customized for the …
Read More

Accenture’s Search Technologies Says Accentuate Your Site Search

April 14, 2018 5:43 pm

If your online commerce site returns the equivalent of a blank stare to a shopper’s search query, the site probably missed out on a conversion. Add a few dozen, hundred, …
Read More

Collectors Corner: Kinder Eggs

April 14, 2018 5:42 pm

If you happened to be in a Walmart on Black Friday last year (2017), you may have come across a display of a new, egg-shaped confection called Kinder Joy, consisting …
Read More

EcommerceBytes Soundoff: Letters to the Editor – April 15, 2018

April 14, 2018 5:41 pm

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 …
Read More

eBay Experiences Another Listing Promotion Snafu

April 13, 2018 9:46 pm

eBay experienced another listing promotion snafu. eBay sent some users a promotion encouraging them to sell, but when recipients clicked on the link, they were confronted with a red warning …
Read More

Returns Solution for Merchants Wins PostalPitch Startup Award

April 12, 2018 10:55 pm

A company that helps merchants with returns has won the PostalPitch Startup Award. The competition was held at the 8th annual PostalVision 2020 conference this month. Product returns are costly …
Read More

Yahoo Stores Adds PayPal’s Braintree Payment Processing

April 12, 2018 10:38 pm

Online sellers who operate a Yahoo Store or website powered by Yahoo’s Merchant Solutions can now use PayPal’s Braintree payment processing solution. Announcement follows: Yahoo Small Business has partnered with …
Read More

Alibaba Founder Jack Ma Warns of Trade War

April 12, 2018 9:43 am

Alibaba founder Jack Ma, who became as celebrated in China as Microsoft founder Bill Gates became in the US, spoke out about the ramifications of a potential trade war. “As …
Read More

Etsy Tests Ways to Highlight Sales for Those Looking for a Deal

April 11, 2018 12:24 pm

Etsy continues to test ways to highlight sales taking place on its marketplace. Just as rival eBay encourages its sellers to run sales through Promotions Manager (and formerly Markdown Manager), …
Read More

Social Commerce Site Polyvore Shuts Down without Warning

April 10, 2018 10:37 pm

Social commerce site Polyvore shut down last week, and users are upset at how the new owner is handling the closure, their content, and their data. Former Yahoo engineers launched …
Read More

eBay Woos Brands at April Advertising Meetup

April 10, 2018 12:08 am

eBay is trying hard to attract brands to its marketplace, encouraging them not only to sell on its marketplace, but to advertise there as well. eBay Advertising is hosting a …
Read More

PayPal Adds More Ways to Add Money to Accounts

April 9, 2018 11:55 pm

PayPal added more ways for users to add money to their accounts as part of changes announced on Monday to help serve the “unbanked” – those users who are financially …
Read More

Supreme Court Asked to Consider Showrooming in Sales Tax Case

April 9, 2018 10:43 pm

We’re not sure if Supreme Court Justices whip out their mobile phones at Best Buy to check online reviews when shopping for a new dishwasher, or if they browse in …
Read More

Etsy: Quill Overturn Would Be Devastating to Female Entrepreneurs

April 8, 2018 10:10 pm

A typical Etsy seller is a female entrepreneur working out of her home to supplement her household’s income. The marketplace said expecting her to calculate, collect, and remit sales taxes …
Read More

eBay: Sellers Would Face Crushing Burden with Overturn of Quill

April 8, 2018 9:26 pm

The Supreme Court is giving South Dakota the chance to argue why merchants with no physical presence in the state should have to collect and remit sales tax on transactions …
Read More

eBay CEO Devin Wenig Raked in $17.6 Million Last Year

April 8, 2018 9:01 am

eBay CEO Devin Wenig saw a 10% hike in compensation in 2017 to $17.59 million. The year before, he saw a 9.87% increase from $14.5 million in 2015 to $15.9 …
Read More

New Guide Offers Tips on Selling and Shipping Internationally

April 6, 2018 8:34 pm

ShipStation published a free guide for US sellers on how to ship internationally and avoid some common pitfalls. For example, the guide lists product restrictions for each country, along with …
Read More

Scott Cutler Able to Turn Full Attention to eBay Marketplaces

April 5, 2018 2:39 pm

It was a bit of a shock when eBay lost the head of its North American Marketplaces last summer, since Hal Lawton had only been at the company since 2015 …
Read More

New Amazon Fashion Brand Launches Spring-Summer Collection

April 5, 2018 1:44 pm

Amazon unveiled a new fashion brand in the UK called Truth & Fable. The “occasionwear” pieces are featured on a store on the Amazon UK website. Amazon Fashion’s existing private …
Read More

eBay Uses Delivery Lockers in Korea

April 5, 2018 1:38 pm

eBay uses delivery lockers in Korea, just one of the ways it acts more like Amazon there than in the US, though even here its eBay.com marketplace is transitioning to …
Read More

ShippingEasy Integrates with Bonanza Marketplace

April 4, 2018 4:15 pm

ShippingEasy has integrated with online marketplace Bonanza. That means sellers can auto-download Bonanza order details to their ShippingEasy account to manage all of their multi-channel orders in one place. ShippingEasy …
Read More

Etsy Helps Turn Custom Requests into Sales on Mobile App

April 4, 2018 10:59 am

Etsy is trying to boost sales by making it easier for sellers to turn custom requests into orders on their mobile devices. The new feature is targeted at opportunities presented …
Read More

Amazon to Open Fourth Fulfillment Center in Nevada

April 4, 2018 10:23 am

Amazon announced today it will open a new fulfillment center in Nevada, which will be its fourth in the state. Amazon will use the 800,000-square-foot fulfillment center to fulfill small …
Read More

Etsy Sellers Prep for Mother’s Day Marketing Campaign

April 2, 2018 9:09 pm

Etsy will begin marketing its site as a source of Mother’s Day gifts in 2 weeks, and it will select “giftable” listings to promote in the campaign. Mother’s Day falls …
Read More

Etsy Among Sites Collecting Pennsylvania Sales Tax for Sellers

April 2, 2018 8:05 pm

Many sellers were caught off guard in January when some marketplaces including Etsy began collecting sales tax on purchases originating in Washington state thanks to its new law. Pennsylvania has …
Read More

eBay Runs Another Spring Seller Promotion

April 2, 2018 5:38 pm

The calendar has turned to April, and eBay kicked off yet another seller promotion. The latest invitation-only offer gives sellers 25% off final value fees in certain categories – sellers …
Read More

PRC Directs USPS to Work on International Shipping Issues

April 2, 2018 3:07 pm

The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) directed the US Postal Service to work on Terminal Dues and agreements with other countries, a hot-button issue for small online sellers in the US …
Read More

New Marketplace Targets Estate Sale Junkies – Bidding Allowed

March 30, 2018 11:01 pm

EstateSales.net is launching a new marketplace for estate sale junkies and will include some interesting pricing models. In addition to offering fixed price listings, sellers can use a declining-price model …
Read More

eBay Runs Another Sitewide Sale, with a Twist

March 30, 2018 9:47 am

Thanks to a tip from a trusty reader, word of yet another eBay sitewide promotion this morning – at least the fourth we’ve seen this month. Up until March, they …
Read More

eBay to Host Sellers at Third eBay Open Conference in July

March 29, 2018 8:33 pm

eBay is holding its third annual eBay Open seller conference in Las Vegas in July. Registration for the two-and-a-half day event opened today at a cost of $399, with an …
Read More

Amazon Changes Feedback Removal Policy

March 28, 2018 10:51 pm

Amazon is changing its feedback removal policy. It made the announcement on March 23, 2018: Upcoming Changes to the Seller Feedback Removal Policy Mar 23, 2018 Currently, seller feedback is …
Read More

eBay Tries to Lift ASP through Numerous Promotions

March 28, 2018 10:44 pm

eBay’s latest promotion is for members of its eBay Bucks loyalty program and offers 8% in rewards for every qualifying item of $50 or more. It kicked off on March …
Read More

Newegg Sorry for Squealing on Connecticut Customers

March 28, 2018 4:51 pm

Newegg apologized to Connecticut customers after it handed over their transaction data to the state. As reported in the March 4th issue of Newsflash, Avalara said Connecticut had coerced some …
Read More

Partnership with eBay Was Not Enough to Save Shyp

March 27, 2018 8:33 pm

Shipping service Shyp ceased operations on Tuesday, blaming its demise on its continued focus on consumers until late in the game when it expanded to servicing small businesses. Shyp CEO …
Read More

eBay Runs Yet Another Sitewide Sale: Spring Black Friday Coupon

March 27, 2018 7:44 pm

eBay is running yet another sitewide coupon sale, the third we’ve identified this month. Shoppers can use the special coupon code (PREPSPRING) to save 15% on qualifying items of $25 …
Read More

FedEx Acquires Global Delivery Firm P2P

March 27, 2018 12:44 pm

FedEx acquired London-based P2P Mailing Limited, a provider of worldwide ecommerce transportation solutions, for £92 million. P2P provides customers with unique last-mile delivery options, leveraging its relationships with private, postal, …
Read More

eBay Thanks Sellers for Advocating on Sales Tax Issue

March 26, 2018 9:09 pm

Some members of Congress wanted to see an online-sales tax provision included in the latest spending bill. On Monday, eBay thanked its sellers for writing to their representatives to urge …
Read More

Amazon Prime Does a NAFTA Deal of Its Own, Of Sorts

March 26, 2018 3:34 pm

A new report says Amazon Prime-eligible goods stored in US warehouses will be available to shoppers in Canada and Mexico beginning in the third quarter of this year. Wall Street …
Read More

eBay Runs Spring Black Friday Sale on Its Deals Platform

March 26, 2018 3:29 pm

eBay is running a “Spring Black Friday” sale through its eBay Deals platform, which is separate from regular marketplace listings. eBay explained last year that only 900 of eBay’s “most …
Read More

eBay Expands Delivery Date Guarantees to Appeal to Buyers

March 23, 2018 10:52 pm

eBay is expanding its Guaranteed Delivery program that it launched on a small scale last year as part of its efforts to appeal to buyers who want speedy delivery of …
Read More

As Brands Move in, Amazon Ads Gets More Expensive

March 22, 2018 10:24 pm

Many online merchants view online advertising as a necessity to get exposure for their listings, and Amazon has just scratched the surface when it comes to monetizing its ad inventory, …
Read More

eBay Promotion Gooses Sales via eBay Bucks

March 22, 2018 12:52 pm

eBay is running a promotion in an effort to boost sales of high-priced items. The 2-day campaign gives shoppers enrolled in its eBay Bucks loyalty program 15% in eBay Bucks …
Read More

Amazon Invites Sellers to New Orleans Summit in June

March 21, 2018 8:58 pm

Amazon is holding it second FBA Seller Summit in June and welcomed sellers to attend. Last year, the event was held in New York City. This year, the event will …
Read More

How to Get Amazon’s Choice Designation on Your Products

March 21, 2018 7:41 pm

If you shop on Amazon, you’ve probably noticed a black “Amazon’s Choice” banner appear on certain products in search results. Amazon initially launched it as a designation for products that …
Read More

Online Returns Represent Big Business

March 20, 2018 10:18 pm

Product returns may be costly headaches for online sellers, but shipping carriers and liquidators see opportunity. FedEx just launched a new feature to help merchants, and the United States Postmaster …
Read More

eBay Changes User Agreement for EU Members

March 20, 2018 4:23 pm

eBay UK announced changes to its User Agreement, User Privacy Notice, and other legal agreements in a post on Tuesday. The changes are part of its legal restructuring. Beginning May …
Read More

Etsy Tests Marketing Features to Entice New Buyers

March 19, 2018 10:40 pm

Etsy kicked off new tests this month to measure the effectiveness of new features. One test tries different ways to highlight a shop’s sale when buyers are shopping on Etsy, …
Read More

Shopify Merchants Can Now Offer Google Pay

March 19, 2018 10:28 pm

Shopify said it is the first commerce platform to offer Google Pay to its merchants. Visitors to stores powered by Shopify can checkout with a Google Pay button from their …
Read More

Shippo Custom Tracking Helps Merchants Engage with Buyers

March 19, 2018 9:54 pm

Shippo launched an improved package-tracking experience for merchants to provide their customers, and merchants can also use it as a marketing tool. Tracking Pages lets sellers customize tracking notifications for …
Read More

PayPal Retracts New Seller Protection Provision

March 19, 2018 8:46 pm

eBay sellers can breathe a sigh of relief as PayPal announced it would not proceed with a move that would have left sellers without protection for certain transactions. A spokesperson …
Read More

Facebook Launches New Feature for Retail Advertisers

March 19, 2018 7:34 pm

Facebook launched three retail solutions on Monday, including one impacting the advertising program known as Facebook Dynamic Ads, which help merchants reach shoppers by automatically promoting products to people who …
Read More

Google Express Achieves Trifecta with New Shopping Actions

March 19, 2018 11:41 am

Google launched a new service called Shopping Actions that offers shoppers a universal shopping cart with voice-shopping capabilities and provides fast and cheap delivery options through its existing Google Express …
Read More

New PayPal Policy and Fee Changes Take Effect in April

March 18, 2018 8:23 pm

PayPal is updating its User Agreement (UA) and Privacy Policy effective April 19, 2018. The change that has sellers buzzing is the removal of its Seller Protection program for certain …
Read More

eBay UK Vows to Protect Seller Accounts from Recent Weather Delays

March 16, 2018 9:35 pm

“Blizzards, strong winds, and heavy snowfall” aren’t terms you associate with the UK, but Storm Emma hit the country 2 weeks ago. eBay issued an initial warning about possible delivery …
Read More

eBay Reboots Seller Promotion with New Offer

March 16, 2018 11:53 am

eBay is running a new seller promotion after cancelling a different one this week. It’s uncertain if eBay sent the new promo to the same sellers as the cancelled one …
Read More

DHL Lets Retailers Offer Branded Same-Day Delivery in Major Markets

March 16, 2018 11:21 am

DHL eCommerce launched a new program called DHL Parcel Metro that allows retailers to offer a fully-branded delivery experience to their customers. It’s available in Chicago, New York, and Los …
Read More

Etsy Invites Sellers to Participate in Spring Sale

March 16, 2018 11:13 am

Etsy is kicking off a week-long Spring Sales event on March 22nd, and invited sellers to participate. Running a sitewide sale is a fairly new marketing technique to draw new …
Read More

Keys to Reducing Amazon FBA Long Term Storage Fees

March 15, 2018 9:10 pm

A recent study highlighted how much sellers paid in Amazon FBA Long Term Storage fees, known as LTS fees, which Amazon assesses twice a year. Feedvisor found that clients it …
Read More

Etsy Redesigns Orders Page for Sellers

March 15, 2018 9:02 pm

Etsy redesigned the orders page to give sellers more control over their workflow and highlight information needed. Unfortunately there’s also a bug impacting the orders page that hampering sellers from …
Read More

eBay Warns Sellers of New Sales Tax Legislation

March 14, 2018 11:01 am

eBay sent an email this week warning sellers about new legislation introduced in Congress called the Remote Transaction Parity Act. It said the internet sales tax legislation would be harmful, …
Read More

Newegg Helps Asian Sellers Reach US and European Buyers

March 14, 2018 10:14 am

Newegg is participating in events in Asia that it says underscores its commitment to fostering “cross-border ecommerce development of emerging sellers.” Or, as it also said, it’s helping Asian companies …
Read More

Etsy Does Square Deal, Retires Card Reader

March 14, 2018 9:55 am

Etsy’s new CEO found another way to streamline operations – the marketplace will retire its own credit card reader in favor of a deal with Square. Josh Silverman took over …
Read More

Avalara Helps Amazon FBA Sellers Cope with State Sales Taxes

March 13, 2018 2:22 pm

As states employ new strategies to get out-of-state merchants to collect sales tax for their residents, Avalara has launched a new report to help Amazon FBA sellers. The report provides …
Read More

eBay Updates User Agreement as It Moves to a Catalog

March 11, 2018 8:44 pm

In conjunction with the recent Spring Seller Update, eBay updated its User Agreement, effective March 30th, 2018. Key updates to its User Agreement reflect the company’s continuing transition towards a …
Read More

eBay SpeedPAK Gets Chinese Goods Delivered to US Faster, with Tracking

March 11, 2018 3:29 pm

eBay entered into a joint venture to help speed delivery of products from Greater China to eBay buyers in other parts of the world, including the US and Europe. The …
Read More

From the Editor – March 11, 2018

March 10, 2018 2:57 pm

eBay wants more control over the prices of goods on its marketplace, and it may even be willing to subsidize sellers in order to goose sales, a recent survey indicated …
Read More

Second Generation Entrepreneur Takes Pillow Business Online

March 10, 2018 2:56 pm

Amanda Horner took over the family business in 2014 and has grown sales by exploiting online channels. But this is no ordinary business. Her father, Dr. Cannon, invented a pillow …
Read More