Ebay vs Amazon

Chart R

Jan 18, 2025

In a market now ruled by giants like Amazon, eBay, the 29-year-old e-commerce pioneer, is in a curious position. At the turn of the century, the company soaring, but as people realized selling stuff on the internet wasn’t always a scam, competition emerged in almost every category. eBay once veered into Amazon’s lane, focusing on brand-new, fixed-price items — an experiment that eventually fizzled as Amazon’s sprawling warehouses and lightning-fast delivery proved unbeatable.

That’s why four years ago, eBay stopped trying to out-Amazon Amazon, returning to its roots as a marketplace for used (and rare) goods and focusing once again on “recommerce” (pre-owned, refurbished goods and collectibles), which has proved successful so far.

Now, thanks to some of its tech rivals getting too big, eBay has a chance to piggyback on their platforms — and Wall Street is loving it.