Jamie Iannone’s Post

Happy 2024! Personally, I look forward to the beginning of each year, and I’ve spent a lot of time talking to eBay employees and sellers about what they’re hoping to achieve in the coming months. One common theme is around how people want to spend their time — whether at work or at home, they want to be able to prioritize the things that create real impact.     At eBay, we ask ourselves every day, "Am I making every minute matter?" This is about so much more than working efficiently — it’s about focusing on outcomes and ensuring we are creating exceptional experiences for our customers.     In 2024, we’re planning to rely on different types of communication and more collaboration. We’ll spend less time in meetings that don’t produce immediate results, and more time having informal touch bases and making decisions. I’m excited about a renewed focus on collaborative working sessions, and how we’ll tackle tough problems together.    By making every minute matter, we can deliver even greater value to the buyers and sellers who trust our platform — and help people approach this year with renewed energy. 

As 2023 comes to a close, I’m especially grateful for the time spent with eBay’s incredible sellers. From Portland to Philadelphia, Brussels to Berlin, and Sydney to Shanghai, the sellers I visited this year blew me away with their dedication and entrepreneurial spirit. It really is what makes eBay so special.    I heard amazing stories about how a passion for vintage watches, classic cars, collectible sneakers or Pokemon cards led to a successful business on eBay — and each time, I was reminded of why I'm so proud to be part of this organization.   I want to thank our sellers for making eBay so vibrant, and a marketplace where millions of people shop all year to find the things they love. On a personal level, I was able to buy truly unique gifts on eBay this holiday for my friends and family.     Wishing the entire eBay community a season filled with joy, prosperity, and well-deserved moments of relaxation. Looking forward to an exciting year ahead. 

I recently visited our team in Australia, where eBay is used by more than 1 in 2 online shoppers. During my trip, I met some of our top Parts & Accessories sellers and was so impressed by their passion and dedication. The global P&A category on eBay has annual sales exceeding $10 billion — and we're committed to driving continued innovation in this space.    The Australian team gave me a preview of a number of features in development for car enthusiasts, and this week is announcing the launch of a new tool that helps buyers find the perfect parts for their vehicle — based on the make, model and year. This is a game-changer for gearheads and DIYers, allowing them to shop with confidence and get their projects done faster. For our sellers, this means happier customers and even more opportunities to grow their businesses.

As we look at the top shopping trends emerging this season, more people are choosing pre-loved and refurbished items for their holiday gifting than ever before. eBay has been a champion of the circular economy for decades, and it’s encouraging to see a new generation shopping differently.    In fact, new research reveals that 60% of Gen Z plan to shop for pre-loved or refurbished items this holiday, a significant shift in consumer behavior. We saw this play out on eBay over Thanksgiving weekend, with more searches and sales of refurbished inventory — from brands like Sonos and Dyson — and vintage fashion items, ranging from classic streetwear to luxury watches. I’m proud of eBay's role as a recommerce catalyst, helping shoppers to save money during the holidays while reducing their environmental impact. And with this changing consumer mindset around pre-owned products, more people are discovering unique and personal holiday gifts that only eBay can deliver. 

As we approach the busiest shopping days of the holiday season, I want to thank our eBay sellers for their hard work, dedication, and incredible contributions.    You are committed to providing exceptional experiences for customers around the world, and I am grateful for all the ways you make our marketplace truly extraordinary. I recognize this is a demanding time for your businesses, and the extra effort that’s required to deliver for our global community — thank you, as always, for your partnership.   Wishing you a happy and prosperous holiday season!

Today we reported eBay’s Q3 earnings results. The team delivered another solid quarter, and we met or exceeded expectations across every key metric. We continue to create experiences that delight our customers and are seeing growth relative to the market in every category where we’ve invested — as well as increased customer satisfaction. One example is Guaranteed Fit for Motors, which just expanded to the UK and Germany and delivers a game-changing level of trust. And we have accelerated the pace of innovation across eBay — leveraging generative AI to create our magical listing experience. The first phase rolled out to all mobile users in the US, UK, and Germany during Q3, and there’s much more to come. You can read more here, and view a message that I recorded for eBayers around the world. https://lnkd.in/geh3jeUV

One of the most magical parts of eBay is connecting enthusiasts around the world with incredible, unique inventory. Last week, I had an up-close look at how we’re able to do this through cross-border trade. While visiting our offices in Tokyo and Shanghai, I spent time with our teams and met some of our top sellers in luxury, collectibles, and parts & accessories. In Shanghai, I visited our China Center of Excellence that’s driving innovation across our platform. I partnered with this team during my first eBay tenure, and have a lot of admiration for their work. It was great to gather in person and see firsthand how they are enhancing the eBay experience. In Tokyo, we saw sellers building thriving businesses around the growing fascination with Japanese pop culture. eBay is a global epicenter for collectors, and Japanese products — especially those associated with anime and manga — are seeing significant growth in recent years. I also hosted a lunch with many of our female leaders who shared their career journeys and talked about the value of eBay’s Communities of Inclusion. Our international teams are making it easier for people to buy and sell across borders, and finding new ways to enable enthusiasts to discover the things they can’t get anywhere else.

One of the things I love about eBay is our role in building Small Businesses around the world. We recently released a new Small Business Report, which examines the sentiment of our global sellers. Despite macroeconomic uncertainty, eBay sellers are confident they can build their businesses, hire more employees, and give back to their communities. This sense of optimism is highlighted by the fact that more than half of eBay sellers expect their overall business to grow in the next 12 months, and 68% expect their businesses on eBay to increase over the next five years.      eBay empowers knowledgeable people to turn their passions into professions - in fact, 61% of sellers say “accidental entrepreneur” describes them well. It’s a testament to the opportunities available on our marketplace, and I am proud of how eBay supports our sellers at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey. https://lnkd.in/gcrycEvN

eBay just announced the 50 recipients of the annual Up & Running Grants - a program established in 2020 to further our mission of connecting people and building communities to create economic opportunity for all. Each grantee receives $10,000 to invest in their small business, plus training and mentorship to help them grow and thrive.      I had the opportunity to share the news with Nathan Lin directly. He first started selling on eBay a decade ago while he was in graduate school and wanted to repurpose the many items left behind by students moving out of the dorms. He has since evolved his business and now operates a successful eBay store that specializes in pre-owned mechanical Swiss watches. Nathan embodies what we call an “accidental entrepreneur,” and is a great example of someone who turned a personal interest into a purpose-driven business.    Congrats to all the 2023 Up & Running recipients, and I look forward to your continued success on eBay! https://lnkd.in/gpQCYrY4

I was in Washington, DC, this week with eBay sellers to meet with congressional leaders and senators about raising the 1099-K tax reporting threshold far above the current $600 level. We know that many entrepreneurs begin their journey by selling something they already own, because they believe it could have a second (or third) life on eBay. This could include their grandmother’s china, a vintage bicycle, or a preloved handbag. In each of these cases, they likely didn’t make taxable income and the original receipt is long gone.     Now is not the time to create barriers for people who want to sell items online - and I left my conversations feeling optimistic about progress we’re making on this topic. A bipartisan, permanent fix will remove confusion and concern for millions of people, and we’ll continue to advocate for our sellers on this critical issue.