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/.

Alibaba Opens Platform to US Sellers

July 23, 2019July 23, 2019 Ina Steiner

Online sellers know Alibaba.com as a product-sourcing platform for inventory from overseas suppliers, but now it’s open to US suppliers as well. That means businesses in the US can use Alibaba to reach retailers and sellers who might be interested Read more

Amazon to Build New Robotics Fulfillment Centers in Ohio

July 22, 2019July 22, 2019 Ina Steiner

Amazon will build two new robotics fulfillment centers in Ohio, it announced today. Each fulfillment center will be over 700,000 square feet and will be used to pick, pack and ship small items to customers such as books, electronics and Read more

eBay UK Adds More Countries to Global Shipping Program

July 22, 2019 Ina Steiner

eBay notified sellers in the UK that it was adding 16 additional countries to its Global Shipping Program (GSP), bringing the total number of countries to over 100. When an item is sold through the GSP program, the seller sends Read more

eBay Replaces Chief Technology and Product Officers

July 22, 2019July 22, 2019 Ina Steiner

eBay filled the position of Chief Product Officer after a 1-year vacancy following the departure of RJ Pittman in July 2018. eBay also found a replacement for Chief Technology Officer Steve Fisher who abruptly stepped down in May to focus Read more

Etsy Snatches Up Music-Gear Marketplace Reverb

July 22, 2019July 22, 2019 Ina Steiner

Etsy is acquiring music-gear marketplace Reverb for $275 million in cash. In announcing the news, Reverb founder and CEO David Kalt said Reverb would remain a standalone business, but with the added support of Etsy. “Your ability to buy, sell, Read more

OfferUp Figures Out How to Reduce the No-Shows

July 21, 2019July 21, 2019 Ina Steiner

One of the biggest problems with mobile and online classifieds is the flaky buyer who doesn’t show up after agreeing to make a purchase, as we hear year after year in the Sellers Choice ratings. OfferUp thinks it has a Read more

Amazon Changes How Products Are Packaged

July 19, 2019July 22, 2021 Ina Steiner

Amazon thinks a lot about product packaging and is celebrating the 11th anniversary of its Frustration-Free Packaging program. But it’s about more than making it easier for customers to open their items and avoid “wrap rage.” The program helps defend Read more

eBay Enrolls Seller into Cross Border Listing Program

July 19, 2019July 19, 2019 Ina Steiner

An eBay moderator confirmed the company has been enrolling sellers into its “Cross Border Listing Program” that is powered by third-party vendor WebInterpret. It is an ongoing program that is presented to some sellers as an opt-in promotion and to Read more

eBay Makes Listings Available to Shoppers in India

July 18, 2019July 18, 2019 Ina Steiner

eBay is making sellers’ listings (what it calls “eBay’s global inventory”) available on Indian marketplace Paytm Mall, making items accessible to tens of millions of Paytm Mall active customers. As part of the agreement, eBay is taking a 5.5% stake Read more

Amazon Updates Seller Agreement after Scrutiny from Germany

July 17, 2019July 17, 2019 Ina Steiner

Amazon informed sellers on Wednesday it is making changes to the Business Solutions Agreement. A summary of the changes is available for sellers to review here, and Amazon made available a “redlined” version of the agreement so sellers could read Read more