eBay continues to bet on live shopping after record quarter

eBay is intensifying its investment in live shopping, capitalizing on the success the format has shown thus far. During its most recent quarterly earnings call, the company revealed that eBay Live’s gross merchandise volume (GMV) surged approximately eightfold year-over-year across seven markets, coupled with rising viewer numbers, watch time, and items purchased.

Plans are underway to expand eBay Live to additional international markets in the near future. "These results validate our belief that Live can enhance engagement, expand discoverability, and boost transaction speed across the broader eBay marketplace," stated eBay's CEO, Jamie Iannone, to investors. However, it is worth noting that eBay did not disclose the exact GMV figure, making it challenging to gauge the magnitude of this increase.

Despite this, eBay appears confident in Live as a pivotal growth avenue, as evidenced by the positive feedback from both sellers and buyers. Over 90% of sellers who regularly stream have experienced growth in their GMV, and those utilizing Live sell about three times more than their non-Live counterparts. Buyers are also making larger purchases.

First-time shoppers in the collectibles category are spending 70% more than those who do not engage in Live shopping. eBay initially launched Live as an invite-only service in the U.S. in 2022 and subsequently broadened it internationally, beginning with a beta in the U.K. in 2024, subsequently implementing it in countries like Germany, Australia, France, Italy, and Canada.

In the preceding month, eBay transitioned away from its invite-only structure and now provides self-service onboarding for qualifying sellers in more than 300 categories, ranging from electronics to fashion and collectibles. The company also highlighted recent advancements, such as discovery features on its homepage and mobile app, to facilitate the identification of live events.

Iannone added that eBay has streamlined the event creation process, inventory preparation, and live item management for sellers, while optimizing "bidding responsiveness" to ensure smoother, quicker livestreams. This growth trend is occurring as live shopping in the U.S. is no longer considered a niche trend but rather a serious endeavor embraced by more companies instead of a casual experiment.

Even resale giant StockX has recently incorporated live shopping capabilities. Notably, Whatnot continues to prosper, boasting a valuation exceeding $11 billion. Furthermore, TikTok Shop is reportedly evaluating a paid subscription that provides free shipping and exclusive discounts.