Author: Ina Steiner

Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.

Amazon Grows Sales 44% in First Quarter of 2021

April 29, 2021April 29, 2021 Ina Steiner

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 Whole Foods Market). In Thursday’s press release announcing earnings, it Read more

Sales on eBay Grew 29% in the First Quarter of 2021

April 28, 2021April 28, 2021 Ina Steiner

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 42% on an as-reported basis and up 38% on an Read more

Stripe Acquires TaxJar, Because Taxes Are Hard

April 27, 2021April 27, 2021 Ina Steiner

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 deal with tax compliance. For readers who use TaxJar and Read more

Cowen Reports on eBay’s Fastest Growing Categories

April 27, 2021April 27, 2021 Ina Steiner

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 note ahead of eBay’s 1st-quarter earnings release, which is set Read more

eBay CEOs Received $77.9 Million in 2020

April 26, 2021April 27, 2021 Ina Steiner

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. In 2020, eBay had two CEOs: an interim chief executive Read more

Amazon Matches Small Biz with Trademark Lawyers

April 26, 2021April 26, 2021 Ina Steiner

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 in the US in 2019 and has since expanded to Read more

eBay Rolls Out Custom Coupon Capability

April 25, 2021April 25, 2021 Ina Steiner

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 the Spring Seller Update on March 3, 2021. The new Read more

Tophatter Is for Online Shoppers Who Want to Play Around

April 25, 2021 Ina Steiner

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 edge when bidding on products. Tophatter operates at the intersection Read more

Bonanza Spring Sale Open to All Sellers

April 24, 2021April 24, 2021 Ina Steiner

Online marketplace Bonanza invited sellers to participate in its sitewide Spring Sale, which is powered by a special coupon code. The company explained: “Bonanza will be hosting another community-wide DIY sale this spring; from May 5 – May 12. Every Read more

Amazon Launches Email Marketing Tools, But There’s a Catch

April 23, 2021April 23, 2021 Ina Steiner

Amazon now offers the ability to market directly to customers through email to alert customers of new product launch announcements and promotions. The new feature is called Manage Your Customer Engagement (MYCE). Anyone who knows how tightly online marketplaces control Read more