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/.

eBay Celebrates 25 Years with a Look Back at Iconic Moments

August 24, 2020August 24, 2020 Ina Steiner

Pierre Omidyar created the eBay website over a Labor Day weekend in 1995, which was called AuctionWeb at the time. In an interview in 2010, Omidyar talked about eBay’s feedback system that was predicated on the belief that people are Read more

UPS to Add Capacity as Demand Surges

August 22, 2020August 22, 2020 Ina Steiner

UPS is adding capacity by expanding its facility air operations in Kansas City, the company announced this week. Included in the renovation project is an expansion of its ramp from two aircraft parking spots to five. Construction will begin in Read more

Amazon Adds New Product Types and Attributes to Catalog

August 22, 2020August 22, 2020 Ina Steiner

Amazon added new Product Types and attributes, it announced on Friday. It introduced the new Product Types Coat, Tunic, and Kurta, with different attributes for each type of product. The marketplace went on to explain the following: “We also have Read more

Etsy Celebrates Labor Day with a Seller Opt-in Sale

August 21, 2020August 21, 2020 Ina Steiner

Etsy is hosting a special sale on Labor Day weekend and is inviting sellers to participate. Sellers are the ones who subsidize the savings for shoppers, of course, not the marketplace. “Just schedule your sale for September 4-7 and offer Read more

Is Amazon Weaning Itself Off ‘Last Mile’ Postal Dependence?

August 21, 2020 Ina Steiner

Like major shipping carriers, Amazon has relied a great deal on the USPS for “last mile” delivery of packages to shoppers’ homes. This week it announced an expansion of its fulfillment capacity in Arizona that could signal a determination to Read more

Postmaster General Postpones Operational Changes til Post-Election

August 18, 2020August 18, 2020 Ina Steiner

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is postponing operational changes at the US Postal Service until after the election. The news comes as he draws the ire of the House, the Senate, unions, postal workers, and others over reports the mail has Read more

Walmart Ecommerce Sales Grow 97 Percent in Second Quarter

August 18, 2020August 18, 2020 Ina Steiner

Walmart ecommerce sales in the second quarter grew by 97%, “with strong results across all channels,” it reported today. Keep in mind that Walmart’s fiscal year doesn’t match other top ecommerce companies, as the supplier consulting firm 8th & Walton Read more

Amazon Issues Reminder It Is a Jobs Creator

August 18, 2020August 18, 2020 Ina Steiner

Amazon is hiring for 20,000 positions in the US across tech, corporate and customer fulfillment, and it has plans to create 3,500 new jobs in its Tech Hubs located in 6 cities across the country. The company currently has over Read more

eBay Divorce from PayPal Impacts Seller Loans

August 18, 2020August 18, 2020 Ina Steiner

If eBay and PayPal are the parents in their corporate “divorce,” then sellers are the children suffering the effects. PayPal tried to find a way for eBay sellers with working capital loans to continue to be able to make automated Read more

USPS Maintenance Could Interrupt Tracking Sunday Night

August 17, 2020August 17, 2020 Ina Steiner

Online sellers (and buyers) should be aware that the availability of USPS tracking could be interrupted overnight Sunday due to planned maintenance. The Postal Service has scheduled system maintenance for Product Tracking & Reporting on August 23, 2020. According to Read more