As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, brick-and-mortar retailers are closing their physical doors, and economic data1 shows that half have only enough cash to survive for 27 days without new money coming in. In light of this situation, people everywhere are searching for ways to support the businesses in their community and beyond. Today, eBay is launching “Up & Running,” an accelerator program specifically designed to help retailers without an e-commerce presence transition to selling online, pledging up to $100 million in support for small businesses across North America.
“For the last 25 years, eBay has helped launch and grow hundreds of thousands of small businesses, and now we’ve created Up & Running to accelerate the start-up time frame for retailers opening online stores during these unprecedented times,” said Jordan Sweetnam, SVP eBay North America. “eBay was built on the simple premise that connecting buyers and sellers around the world creates economic opportunity, and this is exactly what we need to be doing – now more than ever.”
Up & Running on eBay
Through the program, eBay will give new businesses a free basic eBay store for three months – offering access to the marketplace’s 180+ million buyers around the world. With the new online storefront, eBay will waive selling fees2 for these new businesses, and allow them to sell up to 500 items for free. New eBay sellers will also receive the guidance and resources they need to run their business on eBay – including a suite of exclusive marketing and merchandising tools, customization features to build a brand, discounted shipping supplies and more.
In the wake of COVID-19, eBay mobilized a retail revival task force to help the 70% of small businesses3 who do not have any online presence – working quickly to consolidate and adapt the tools and resources these new sellers would need to be successful. Through Up & Running, eBay will provide educational webinars, individual support, and access to experienced sellers willing to mentor those who are new to eCommerce. In the coming weeks, the company will also highlight small business sellers on eBay.com, and provide new ways for shoppers to support their favorite local businesses while staying at home.
Open Your eBay Store Now
New sellers can follow these simple steps to get started, with support available along the way:
- Create a business account on the sign up page
- Register your business by following the instructions in the email that will follow
- Follow the steps on how to get started here, which will activate your no-sales-fee offer
- Discover the resources you need to get a successful eBay store up and running
Retail Revival
eBay was founded on the principles of empowering people and creating economic opportunity. Since 1995, eBay has helped businesses of all sizes thrive and most recently established Retail Revival. This program was created in 2018 to help brick-and-mortar businesses in cities experiencing an economic downturn to reach a broader audience on the platform.
Supporting Existing Sellers
The launch of Up & Running follows last week’s significant moves to help the hundreds of thousands of small and medium businesses that are currently on eBay. The changes were announced to the seller community directly, and include deferred fee payments, added seller protections and 100,000 incremental free listings. These actions reflect a commitment by eBay North America of more than $200 million in support programs for existing sellers.
For more information, visit ebay.com/upandrunning. Join the dedicated group on our community board and get to know other brick-and-mortar sellers – both seasoned and new – and discover real-time advice, inspiration, and guidance.
eBay By the Numbers
- eBay has 1.4 billion plus listings
- eBay has 183 million active buyers worldwide
- 72% of items ship for free in U.S., UK and DE
- 80% of all merchandise sold on eBay is new, and our wide selection keeps growing
- 63% of transactions on the eBay platform involve a mobile touchpoint
- 502 million downloads of eBay Inc. apps across the globe
