eBay

haute_again · ‎01-13-2017

An analyst proposes merging the online retail firms. One way to take on Amazon.com.

By

Emily Bary

Jan. 13, 2017 6:36 p.m. ET

What if eBay combined with Etsy in an attempt to take on Amazon.com?

Think of the possibilities: a company that helps you sell the stuff you found in your basement joining forces with a company selling homemade crafts that might one day wind up in your basement.

It just might work, says James Cakmak, an analyst at Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co.

It’s still growing on its own, but eBay might want to consider some outside help, as well, Cakmak wrote in a research note yesterday. One opportunity that could make sense: a merger with online crafts-marketplace Etsy.

With the PayPal side of the business spun off, eBay has had to focus more on its marketplace. The company has made some progress there, expanding its StubHub ticket-resale segment and increasing its overall “take rate” -- the portion of merchants’ sales that the company keeps for itself.

The combined company would have a “longer tail of goods,” Cakmak wrote, helping it to compete better with Amazon. “The core to Amazon’s philosophy is expanding selection.”

Amazon has its own crafting business, called Handmade, but Etsy’s selection is 100 times larger. “Any way to differentiate with Amazon is a win,” Cakmak wrote.

EBay could help grow Etsy’s overseas business and also promote some of its own items on the Etsy site, Cakmak suggested. He noted that both companies are looking into ways of using machine learning to improve search functions.

Etsy is the more efficient business, with a take rate of 13%, while eBay’s is just 8.5%. So Etsy’s know-how could help boost eBay’s profits.

Cakmak has a “Buy” rating on both companies.” He sees 36% upside for Etsy and 17% upside for eBay.

Big Picture: Online marketplaces eBay and Etsy could make for a nice marriage, one analyst says. A merger might help both companies better compete with Amazon.

http://www.barrons.com/articles/a-growth-plan-for-ebay-buy-etsy-1484350617

z50com · ‎01-20-2017

WHY?

I see no point in eBay buying Etsy

What is ETSY?

I've heard of it but never been there.

I'm not into arts & crafts and from what I've read it's a GIRLY site. . .NO TOOL GUY WOULD BE CAUGHT DEAD ON ETSY!

z50com · ‎01-20-2017

"LOL With eBay stock around $20 and Amazon $600 a share,"

Stock price means NOTHING, it's the Market Cap that matters.

(Yes, Amazons market cap is much higher then eBay's)

I could go more into detail on the subject but you could also just Google up the subject and get that info first hand. . .

EDUCATE YOURSELF

chuck-r · ‎01-20-2017

This would be a good idea. Etsy also requires sellers to refund the buyer if the seller can't control the weather. It's the same insanity. (If the item arrives late because of weather issue and the buyer files a claim, the seller must provide a refund.)

rainbowcolorz · ‎01-20-2017

I'm not sure how/if a merger would work. My first love is (was) eBay until they let the Chinese sellers come in and sell the same things I sell (and have been selling for years at a very good price) for pennies on the dollar with free shipping. But I still sell a lot on eBay, just the $ coming in is much lower. Thank goodness I don't have to pay bills from the $ I make online.

On Etsy, my sales have slowed down in the last few months but I enjoy putting something up for 20¢ for 4 months.

I have lots of vintage items as well as new items so both places work well for me.

d-k_treasures · ‎01-20-2017

@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote:
Hmm if I remember my finance classes correctly, actual share price is pretty much irrelevant on its own without adding in value and other factors. How many shares are there in total? How much of the company do those shares make up? What are the price to earnings ratios? etc.

Not that I'm arguing the relative size of the companies. Ebay is not even really in the same business as Amazon.

Then they need to stop thinking that they are.

_____________________________
"Nothing is obvious to the oblivious"

ted_200 · ‎01-20-2017

I'm sure it was some stock analyst who thought General Motors getting in to the residential lending business was a swell idea too...

lol...........I'll bet Etsy sellers would REALLY applaud that one..........

I got stuff there because I needed to get it away from here... yes, obviously having here buy there is not on my wish list...

The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves.

ten_o_nine · ‎01-20-2017

@ekmadonna wrote:
I sell on betsy and there is nothing there accept outrageously priced items not worth 1/4 of the asking price and more chinese carp than ever before plugging up the few and limited catogories that you can put items in. i sold 65 items in my 1st year and a half over there with never more than 100 items listed and i have sold 4 in 12 months since. that sight is a ghost town now since they went to pay to play with google also. combining the 2 sites would have absolutly no benefit to anyone IMO.

So, what's the problem? You'll get 2 ghost towns for the price of 1

keithharrierenterprises · ‎01-23-2017

a quick fix for ebay would be requiring everything sold on ebay to have a valid UPC code, like amazon does. that alone would stop all the knock off stuff and allow buyers to trust what they are buying is genuine.

the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth · ‎01-23-2017

That would also kill the sales of vintage items none of which have UPC codes.

sharingtheland · ‎01-23-2017

Amazon's use of UPC codes is wildly, um, inconsistent.

Yes, a listing has to have a UPC code but that doesn't mean it comes close to matching the current, actual code on a product. One product, with 5 "offerings" from different sellers, can have 5 different UPCs.

There was an ecommercebytes mention the other day that ebay made a statement about deciding to not implement UPC for all until 2018 and until then "does not apply" will still be available. Ebay then turned around and told ebay Australia the exact opposite.

Sherry

=^.^= =^.^=
( ) ( )
" " =^.^= " "

haute_again · ‎01-23-2017

http://www.barrons.com/articles/a-growth-plan-for-ebay-buy-etsy-1484350617

keithharrierenterprises · ‎01-24-2017

i do understand what u are saying. i experience that in my category. some buyers buy the knockoff stuff chinese stuff, ship it to them in the us and then brand it as their brand. and then they are putting a upc in that a google search only shows their ebay listings. and when u check the actual upc registry site their upc is invalid.

this is honestly where ebay could differentiate themselves. im sure they could make some backend program that checked the MPN and the Brand with the UPC and block those listing an item that didnt match.

for the vintage sellers, ebay could somehow think how to make that backend thing only apply to certain categories, or the things that the vintage and antiques listing in when listed as "used"

this would still protect the vintage and used older items, as well as build the consumer's confidence that what they buy on ebay new is a genuine product. it only helps every honest seller at all levels, and would build the buyer's trust to ebay.

d-k_treasures · ‎01-24-2017

@keithharrierenterprises wrote:
a quick fix for ebay would be requiring everything sold on ebay to have a valid UPC code, like amazon does. that alone would stop all the knock off stuff and allow buyers to trust what they are buying is genuine.

There would be no way for anyone to verify the validity of all UPC's. Plus antiques do not have UPC's.

And what about a UPC from 5 years ago that is now assigned to another product?

_____________________________
"Nothing is obvious to the oblivious"

keithharrierenterprises · ‎01-24-2017

the def

@d-k_treasures wrote:
@keithharrierenterprises wrote:
a quick fix for ebay would be requiring everything sold on ebay to have a valid UPC code, like amazon does. that alone would stop all the knock off stuff and allow buyers to trust what they are buying is genuine.

There would be no way for anyone to verify the validity of all UPC's. Plus antiques do not have UPC's.

And what about a UPC from 5 years ago that is now assigned to another product?

initive place www.gs1.org/

prefixes are for a business. what i mentioned in earlier post is that i feel ebay could differentiate from categories and date of that is was made to go by this. there is really one real authority on this just like domains would be ican.

i know ebay is a place for vintage and custom made stuff and this brings both the seller and ebay profit. i was merely trying to to say that they could set qualifications based on ebay categories and what was selling so that those that were not antique and vintage or custom made, but new would be cross checked with this registry. that would help everyone.... no one that is antique, custom made, or vintage would be affected, but at the same time, those selling new, genuine stuff would be protected. this alone would help the consumer over time trust buying from ebay for everything

d-k_treasures · ‎01-24-2017

@keithharrierenterprises wrote:
the def
@d-k_treasures wrote:
@keithharrierenterprises wrote:
a quick fix for ebay would be requiring everything sold on ebay to have a valid UPC code, like amazon does. that alone would stop all the knock off stuff and allow buyers to trust what they are buying is genuine.

There would be no way for anyone to verify the validity of all UPC's. Plus antiques do not have UPC's.

And what about a UPC from 5 years ago that is now assigned to another product?

initive place www.gs1.org/

prefixes are for a business. what i mentioned in earlier post is that i feel ebay could differentiate from categories and date of that is was made to go by this. there is really one real authority on this just like domains would be ican.

i know ebay is a place for vintage and custom made stuff and this brings both the seller and ebay profit. i was merely trying to to say that they could set qualifications based on ebay categories and what was selling so that those that were not antique and vintage or custom made, but new would be cross checked with this registry. that would help everyone.... no one that is antique, custom made, or vintage would be affected, but at the same time, those selling new, genuine stuff would be protected. this alone would help the consumer over time trust buying from ebay for everything