eBay Holds Summit at Advertising Week NY 2018

September 23, 2018 8:36 pm

eBay Chief Marketing Officer Suzy Deering will speak at the Advertising Week New York conference in New York next month where eBay will also hold a half-day summit as part …
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Amazon FBA Offers Customers Free Replacements for Returns

September 23, 2018 8:29 pm

Amazon is now allowing customers who are returning an FBA item to choose to receive a free replacement rather than a refund, with “no cost” to sellers. Of course, the …
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eBay Security Concerns Extend to Employees

September 21, 2018 11:28 pm

eBay wants to move quickly to build a fence around its headquarters in California for the safety and security of employees, according to the San Jose Mercury News. eBay told …
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Etsy Tests New Timetable for Leaving Reviews

September 20, 2018 5:23 pm

Etsy is testing a new timetable for leaving reviews. Buyers use Etsy’s five-star review system (one being the lowest and five being the highest) to review their purchases. Currently, a …
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eBay’s Answer to Customer Service: Have Reps Work from Home

September 20, 2018 12:01 pm

eBay is hiring customer service representatives who can work from home, including 120 positions in the US. eBay launched the program, called eBay@Home, in Ireland in 2017 and also has …
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Etsy to Launch Search Analytics Tool for Sellers

September 19, 2018 1:17 pm

Etsy is readying a search analytics tool for sellers along with other resources it will launch in the coming months to support sellers. It also released today a new guide …
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eBay Celebrates Vinyl and Launches Authorized Reseller Hub

September 19, 2018 10:16 am

In 2015, a Record Store Day co-founder called advance eBay listings “fraudulent,” according to the LA Times. Three years later, eBay is collaborating with the organizers of what the Times …
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Amazon Launches in Turkey and Expands Saudi Arabian Trade

September 19, 2018 9:43 am

Amazon launched in Turkey and added a Global Storefront in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as it continues to expand internationally and grow cross-border trade. Amazon.com.tr offers millions of products, …
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Amazon Notifies Sellers It Will Collect Minnesota Sales Tax

September 18, 2018 11:55 pm

Amazon notified sellers it will begin collecting sales tax for orders shipped to Minnesota beginning October 1, 2018, which passed what’s come to be known as a Marketplace Facilitator law …
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eBay Bucks Promo Pushes Mobile App Use

September 18, 2018 10:42 pm

eBay is pushing its mobile app with the latest eBay Bucks loyalty promotion that kicked off today. The invitation-only promotion offers sellers 8% in eBay Bucks on every qualifying item …
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Hope for eBay Sellers Looking for Immediate Funds

September 18, 2018 3:17 pm

Right now, most eBay sellers receive payments immediately into their PayPal accounts. But as eBay transitions to take over payments itself, sellers will have to wait for disbursements from the …
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Amazon Builds Another Fulfillment Center in California

September 17, 2018 4:43 pm

Amazon is building a second fulfillment center in Stockton, California, the company announced today. It has created over 39,000 full-time jobs in California and invested over $19 billion in the …
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Etsy Monday Morning Performance Issues Now Deemed Resolved

September 17, 2018 2:01 pm

Etsy users had problems access the site this morning, as reported on Ecommerce EKG. Users also reported problems via DownDetector. Etsy kept users up to date on its Status board …
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eBay Postpones Penalty Fees in UK

September 17, 2018 9:41 am

eBay is postponing penalty fees in the UK, it told sellers there this morning. Sellers who accrue a certain percentage of claims for item not as described or item not …
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Amazon Launches Storefront Featuring Items from US Sellers

September 17, 2018 9:29 am

Amazon launched a new storefront featuring items from US sellers. With the public relations tactic, Amazon no doubt hopes to attract buyers who wish to support small US-based sellers while …
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Lawmaker Sticks Up for Amazon Sellers

September 15, 2018 11:32 am

A lawmaker is sticking up for Amazon sellers. Senator Warren told the New York Times that Amazon should be scrutinized for potential anti-competitive behavior. The problem, as she sees it, …
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Lawmakers Float a Bill to Freeze Sales Tax “Chaos” for Small Biz

September 14, 2018 11:55 pm

Republican and democratic lawmakers in Congress have introduced a bill that would be a huge relief to small businesses worried about online sales tax obligations in the wake of the …
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Jeff Bezos to Apply Amazon Principles to Nonprofit Preschools

September 13, 2018 5:48 pm

What if you took the principles of running an ecommerce marketplace and applied them to a nonprofit educational operation, with the child as “customer”? Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, …
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Etsy Eliminates Position of Chief Operating Officer

September 13, 2018 11:43 am

Etsy is eliminating the position of Chief Operating Officer. Current COO Linda Kozlowski will leave the company at the end of the year to pursue other opportunities. In announcing the …
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FedEx Ground Moves to Permanent Six-Day Delivery Citing Ecommerce Demand

September 13, 2018 10:26 am

FedEx Ground will now deliver packages 6 days a week in the US on a permanent basis thanks to ecommerce and the “dramatic and consistent” rise in demand for the …
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Etsy Moved Its Site to Google Cloud Last Month

September 12, 2018 8:26 pm

Etsy successfully moved its website to the cloud, it announced on Wednesday, along with its mobile apps. Etsy said it was done “with minimal disruption to our buyers and sellers.” …
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Sellers Help Amazon Business Reach $10 Billion in B2B Sales

September 11, 2018 10:41 pm

Amazon Business now reaches over $10 billion in annualized sales and serves “millions” of business customers, the company revealed on Tuesday. Amazon Business is a B2B marketplace – customers purchase …
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PayPal Capitalizes on a Strength Missing from eBay Payments

September 11, 2018 1:25 pm

PayPal launched Funds Now, giving sellers instant access to payments from online sales. The timing is interesting as it comes as eBay begins rolling out managed payments, where sellers will …
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eBay Intern Shows Practical Application of Gee-Whiz Technology

September 11, 2018 12:36 pm

A PhD candidate working as an intern at eBay shows there’s a practical side to investments in gee-whiz technology by companies like eBay. Muratcan Cicek published a blog post on …
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PayPal CEO Dan Schulman Joins Verizon Board

September 10, 2018 2:52 pm

Verizon added PayPal CEO Dan Schulman to its Board of Directors effective September 6, 2018. It’s worth noting that Verizon operates Yahoo Small Business through its Oath subsidiary, though we …
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Alibaba Founder Is Ready to Return to Education

September 9, 2018 11:29 pm

Jack Ma was a teacher in China before turning entrepreneur, but he succeeded in growing Alibaba into a global ecommerce powerhouse because he paid attention to the needs of small …
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eBay Repeats Coupon Promo – and Redemption Issues

September 9, 2018 4:46 pm

eBay is offering a $5 coupon this month as part of an invitation-only promotion. It kicked off on September 5th and runs through September 27th. Some buyers who received the …
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From the Editor – September 9, 2018

September 8, 2018 7:59 pm

In an unusual occurrence, Amazon’s search engine went haywire on Wednesday, and according to CNBC, it was followed by outages impacting the back-end system for tracking sellers’ orders and sales …
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More Info for Sellers as eBay Kicks Off New Managed Payments

September 8, 2018 7:58 pm

In the two months since eBay invited some sellers to participate in its initial launch of “managed payments” that is scheduled to begin this month, eBay has provided additional information …
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Online Sellers Stumped over Sales Tax Collection

September 8, 2018 7:57 pm

We’re getting questions from sellers about their obligations to collect sales tax after the Supreme Court overturned Quill with its ruling in June. Unfortunately there are no simple, one-size-fits-all answers, frustrating …
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Collectors Corner: How Cultural Changes Are Impacting Collectibles

September 8, 2018 7:56 pm

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus (c. 535 – 475 BC) stated that change was the only constant, and that dictum certainly applies to collectibles. A few – Beanie Babies, fidget …
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EcommerceBytes Soundoff: Letters to the Editor – September 9, 2018

September 8, 2018 7:55 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 …
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Teikametrics Offers Tool to Optimize Amazon Advertising

September 6, 2018 9:59 am

Teikametrics helps merchants and brands optimize their ecommerce activities, and this week the company released its next-generation “Retail Optimization Platform” called Teikametrics Flywheel. Teikametrics’ founder and CEO Alasdair McLean-Foreman said …
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Walmart Tests New Last-Mile Grocery Delivery Service

September 6, 2018 9:16 am

Walmart is expanding its grocery delivery services with the launch of a new pilot program called Spark Delivery. It’s a crowd-sourced platform that Walmart says allows it to learn even …
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Ecommerce Platform Shopify Revamps Its App Store

September 5, 2018 12:51 pm

Shopify revamped its app store, which first launched in 2009. The Shopify App Store offers its merchants free and paid apps that extend the functionality of Shopify stores. The new …
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eBay Expands Consignment Program Globally, Adds Luxury Watches

September 5, 2018 11:10 am

eBay expanded its consignment program called eBay Authenticate to include luxury watches. The program already includes luxury handbags. The company also announced it expanded eBay Authenticate to several European markets …
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Amazon Adds J.Crew to Its Fashion Lineup

September 5, 2018 10:47 am

Shoppers can now find J.Crew fashion on Amazon through a new partnership between the fashion brand and marketplace powerhouse. The curated selection from the J.Crew Mercantile’s Fall ’18 collection include …
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Amazon Doubles Tech Hub Workforce in San Diego

September 5, 2018 10:36 am

Amazon is doubling its technical workforce in the San Diego area with the addition of 300 jobs in software development, machine learning, cloud computing, and digital entertainment. It announced Wednesday …
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Two Schools of Thought on Why eBay Is Re-Running FVF Promo

September 4, 2018 10:58 pm

eBay ran a 3-day promotion giving sellers a 25% commission discount from September 1 – 3rd. Now it’s running the same promotion for 6 more days, from September 4 through …
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UPU Director General Addresses eBay, Ecommerce, and Reform

September 4, 2018 3:09 pm

Ecommerce and the business of international mail exchange were key themes coming out of the first day of the special meeting of the Universal Postal Union this week, as was …
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eBay Listings to Display on ESPN Sports Site

September 4, 2018 10:09 am

Going after sports fans, eBay announced its listings will appear on ESPN.com through an exclusive partnership with the sports news and commentary site, it announced on Tuesday. eBay said it …
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Amazon Blogs about Robots on Labor Day Weekend

September 3, 2018 11:09 pm

Amazon wants to set the record straight about its use of robots, publishing a post titled, “5 facts to know about Amazon Robotics.” Included as one of its facts: “Robots …
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Amazon Runs Contest to Promote Its UK Pet-Supplies Store

September 3, 2018 7:34 pm

Amazon wants shoppers to think of its marketplace as a source for all their pet-supply needs, and on Monday, it kicked off a contest in the UK to get the …
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eBay Closely Watches North American Trade Talks

September 2, 2018 8:46 pm

On Wednesday, eBay applauded Mexico’s plans to make it easier for its residents to buy low-value shipments from the US by raising its “de minimis” threshold from $50 to $100 …
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UPU Responds to President Trump’s Directive on Postal Terminal Dues

August 30, 2018 3:21 pm

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) issued a statement on Monday in response to President Trump’s memorandum regarding terminal dues, which is the system Postal Services around the world use for …
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eBay Replaces General Manager of New York Office

August 29, 2018 3:20 pm

eBay named Bradford Shellhammer General Manager of its New York office, which includes technology, marketing, ads, sales, design, and merchandising departments. Shellhammer had been eBay’s Global Head of Buyer Engagement …
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Amazon Launches Monthly Prime Membership in Canada

August 29, 2018 8:17 am

Amazon introduced a monthly Prime membership option in Canada this week for $7.99/month. The most surprising about the announcement is the fact it hadn’t already offered it in Canada, after …
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New California Regulation Hits eBay Sellers

August 28, 2018 9:20 pm

eBay advised sellers of new regulations from the state of California that impact sellers who list products containing certain substances. As a result of California Proposition 65, which takes effect …
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UPS Launches Ware2Go – A Response to Amazon FBA Onsite?

August 28, 2018 10:08 am

UPS launched Ware2Go, a platform to help merchants find available flexible warehouse space and fulfillment services. The advantage to sellers: it allows small and medium-sized businesses to expand their reach …
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Weebly to Sellers: Ditch the Desktop

August 27, 2018 8:52 pm

Weebly launched new ecommerce tools on Monday to help sellers manage their stores from their mobile devices. Weebly, which was acquired by payments firm Square on May 31st of this …
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Hurricane Disrupts Mail on Hawaii, eBay Offers Seller Protection

August 27, 2018 7:48 pm

Expecting a package from a seller located in Hawaii? Be aware of recent disruptions of both outgoing and incoming mail. The US Postal Service issued service disruption alerts for the …
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eBay to Run Sitewide Sale on August 28th

August 27, 2018 5:25 pm

eBay will run another sitewide flash sale, this one on Tuesday, August 28th. Shoppers can save 15% off using the coupon code PREGAME15. eBay subsidizes flash sale as a form …
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Etsy Warns Sellers about FedEx Surcharges Coming Monday

August 27, 2018 3:42 pm

If you ship using FedEx, be aware of some fee changes for overweight and oversized packages that take effect next week. Etsy issued a warning to sellers about higher surcharge …
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Survey Reveals eBay Seller Hub Portal Needs Some Work

August 25, 2018 3:11 pm

EcommerceBytes’ recent survey of sellers indicates eBay’s Seller Hub portal remains a work in progress with some advantages but also missing some features and including some annoyances. For example, one …
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eBay Holds Seller Promo for UK Bank Holiday Weekend

August 24, 2018 3:41 pm

eBay is holding a seller promotion for UK sellers this weekend that runs through Monday, August 27, a bank holiday in England. The promotion is open to all private (non-business) …
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eBay Turns to Classifieds to Grow Marketplace Sales

August 23, 2018 11:05 pm

eBay is turning to its classifieds sites like Gumtree to grow eBay Marketplace sales. The latest evidence that this is an important strategy for the company came during last week’s …
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PayPal Updates Mobile App for Ease of Use

August 23, 2018 10:14 pm

PayPal updated its mobile app to make it easier and simpler, according to the company. Not surprisingly, PayPal said the most popular features of the app remain sending and requesting …
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Marketing Your eBay Motors Listings Just Got More Expensive

August 23, 2018 10:19 am

eBay is raising the cost of marketing automobile listings next month. The cost of listing an item is not changing, but the cost of using the optional Gallery Plus marketing …
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Walmart Delves into Digital Content with Launch of Walmart eBooks

August 22, 2018 9:41 am

Walmart launched a new offering for shoppers – you can now purchase ebooks on its site thanks to a new partnership with Kobo. In addition to selling individual titles, Walmart …
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ShipStation Partners with Codisto

August 21, 2018 11:18 pm

ShipStation has partnered with Codisto, an Amazon and eBay integration app for merchants with online stores that are powered by Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Ecwid. Based in Australia, Codisto …
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eBay Apologizes to Sellers for Billing Incident

August 21, 2018 7:21 pm

eBay sent an email to sellers on Tuesday apologizing for a serious billing-related glitch on Monday, but there’s a glaring omission in its letter: what sellers should do if the …
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Amazon Holds August Bank Holiday Sale for UK Shoppers

August 20, 2018 4:50 pm

Amazon is holding an August Bank Holiday sale beginning August 22nd and running through August 29th. Amazon UK specifically called out third-party seller participation: “Small businesses, innovative start-ups and artisans …
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Bonanza Sellers Can Now Accept Credit Card Payments through Stripe

August 20, 2018 4:26 pm

Bonanza is integrating with Stripe to allow sellers to seamlessly offer credit card payments. However, only sellers with Gold membership or higher will be allowed to offer checkout with Stripe, …
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PostalVision 2020 Tackles Retail Returns

August 20, 2018 10:32 am

PostalVision 2020 and the Reverse Logistics Association (RLA) are holding an event to tackle the issue of product returns. “Return to the Future” is a one-day event taking place on …
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Repricing Tool Available on Amazon Marketplace Appstore

August 20, 2018 10:25 am

RepricerExpress, which provides repricing solutions for Amazon and eBay sellers, is now available on the Amazon Marketplace Appstore. Amazon launched the Marketplace Appstore in beta in May in order to …
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Avalara Makes Sales Tax Tool Available on Amazon Marketplace Appstore

August 17, 2018 9:52 am

Avalara is making its sales-tax tool available on the Amazon Marketplace Appstore for the convenience of those sellers who use its tax compliance automation software to file and remit state …
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eBay Runs August 17th Sitewide Flash Sale in UK

August 17, 2018 9:41 am

eBay is running yet another sitewide flash sale – this one is running today in the UK. Interestingly it isn’t advertised in the top slider of the eBay UK website …
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Why Amazon Brags ‘Many’ TV Shoppers Don’t Buy on Its Site

August 16, 2018 11:23 pm

Brick-and-mortar retailers don’t like it when shoppers engage in “showrooming” behavior (visiting their stores but buying online). But Amazon doesn’t always mind the opposite phenomenon, called “webrooming” – shopping online …
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CommerceHub, SlickDeals, and PlentyMarkets Win eBay Developer Awards

August 16, 2018 10:19 pm

Three companies won awards during the 2018 eBay Connect developers conference in San Jose. CommerceHub, SlickDeals, and PlentyMarkets won the annual eBay Star Developer Awards, announced on Thursday. CommerceHub helps …
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eBay Launches New Auto-Parts Shopping Tools

August 16, 2018 2:58 pm

eBay has nearly 80 million live auto-parts listings, but what do you do if you don’t know the name of the part you need to replace? New eBay Motors tools …
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Etsy Updates Category Structure and Attributes

August 15, 2018 9:31 pm

Online marketplace Etsy announced changes to its category structure and attributes. Keep in mind that categories also act as “tags” on Etsy to further help shoppers find what they’re looking …
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Yahoo Small Business Celebrates 20 Years with Renewed Focus

August 15, 2018 9:16 pm

Younger readers may not realize that before sites like Facebook and before Google, there was Yahoo, once the leading search engine on which most of us relied. Its Yahoo Stores …
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The End of Free inkFrog Accounts for eBay Sellers

August 15, 2018 8:28 pm

inkFrog notified sellers this week it will no longer make available free accounts to those who had been grandfathered in. The tool helps online sellers manage their inventory, market, and …
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eBay Launches New Portal for Affiliates

August 15, 2018 4:35 pm

eBay’s affiliate program launched a new portal for members of its eBay Partner Network program (ePN). The new Partner Success Hub is designed to consolidate tools for affiliates, and includes …
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UPS Rate Hike in UK When Printing Labels through eBay

August 15, 2018 4:19 pm

eBay announced that UPS rates are increasing for UK sellers when they purchase shipping labels through “eBay Delivery powered by Shutl.” The new higher rates will go into effect on …
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eBay Announces New APIs at eBay Connect Developers Conference 2018

August 14, 2018 11:35 am

eBay kicked off this year’s developers conference with news of new APIs and AI capabilities for companies that make tools and apps for eBay buyers and sellers. Image Search, Machine …
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Happy Returns Brings In-Person Returns to College Campuses

August 14, 2018 11:22 am

Happy Returns, which operates a network of drop-off locations in shopping malls where people can return goods ordered online, is expanding to college campuses. The company operates over 150 Return …
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Etsy to Kick Off 2nd Annual Labor Day Sale on August 31

August 13, 2018 10:22 pm

Today, Etsy announced it is hosting its second Labor Day sale that will run from August 30 through September 3, 2018. One year ago, Etsy launched sales and coupon tools …
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Overstock.com Adds ShipWorks Integration

August 13, 2018 10:16 pm

Overstock.com has added an integration with ShipWorks, a shipping and order fulfillment solution that helps online retailers and warehouses process and fulfill orders. While Overstock closed its third-party marketplace in …
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Advice for Sellers Dreading eBay’s HTTPS Deadline

August 12, 2018 8:53 pm

Some sellers are concerned about an upcoming change on eBay that is part of its Fall Seller Update. The mandate states: “Starting September 15, 2018, you will be required to …
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Amazon Subjects Sellers to Invoiced Payments

August 12, 2018 8:43 pm

As we previously reported, Amazon informed sellers in May they may have to wait for some payments thanks to its new payment option that allows business sellers to pay by …
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eBay Issues Advisory to Sellers Impacted by Wildfires

August 12, 2018 8:36 pm

eBay issued an advisory to sellers who are impacted by wildfires, and it provided them with a telephone number to call if they’re experiencing disruptions to their business. Announcement follows: …
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From the Editor – August 12, 2018

August 11, 2018 9:35 pm

Amazon Prime Day is behind us and back-to-school shopping season is well underway – and sellers are making sure they have their ducks in a row for the holiday shopping …
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eBay Hosts 2,000 Sellers at 2018 eBay Open Conference

August 11, 2018 9:34 pm

eBay hosted 2,000 sellers at eBay Open in Las Vegas in July – over 60% of them first-time sellers. It also held its annual Top Seller Summit directly preceding the …
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Is It Time to Try Google Advertising?

August 11, 2018 9:33 pm

Google shook up its advertising programs in early summer, including changes that make it easier for small businesses to automate campaigns, and it announced a collaboration with ecommerce platform Shopify …
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Collectors Corner: Garden Gnomes

August 11, 2018 9:31 pm

It’s the height of the tourist season, and it’s not just people who are hiking national parks, cruising the Caribbean, or ascending to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Garden …
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EcommerceBytes Soundoff: Letters to the Editor – August 12, 2018

August 11, 2018 9:30 pm

eBay Adds Second City to Retail Revival Coaching Program

August 10, 2018 3:02 pm

eBay launched a new program in Akron, Ohio, in January called Retail Revival that drums up new sellers and provides coaching and concierge customer service to help them sell on …
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Same Old Pattern as USPS Reports Quarterly Results

August 9, 2018 10:25 am

The USPS reported the results of its most recent quarter, where it saw more of the same: a decline in letter mail alongside growth in package volume. The Postal Service …
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USPS Is Adding More Package Pickup Lockers

August 8, 2018 9:17 pm

Remember package lockers the USPS began testing in 2011 that allowed shoppers to have packages shipped to them for pickup as an alternative to home delivery? The Postal Service announced …
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