Published - May 3, 2021

This report explores how independent small businesses and entrepreneurs across America were able to turn to eBay’s online marketplace during the initial months of the pandemic and use ecommerce to connect with consumers across the country and around the world. eBay helped small businesses, both existing and new to online commerce, meet growing consumer ecommerce demand and compensate for oftentimes declining local, in-store traffic. The report also provides insights into the trade and growth of eBay-enabled small businesses across the United States prior to the pandemic.

Key findings include that: (1) In the six months following the initial pandemic lockdowns of March 2020, the number of eBay-enabled small businesses in the United States grew 34 percent and sales grew by an even greater 38 percent compared to the same time period in 2019; (2) 84% of eBay-enabled small businesses said that eBay is essential to keeping their business open and connected to customers during the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) Nearly every eBay-enabled small business in the United States is an exporter and this rate dwarfs that of traditional businesses; and (4) The ability of small, businesses to reach consumers across the globe has helped foster enterprise growth in rural and disadvantaged counties, places that too often otherwise suffer from economic stagnation.

The findings presented in this report demonstrate that empowering independent small businesses to use technology to reach remote consumer markets, while operating in and supporting their local community, is a tool for long-term equitable and inclusive growth as well as economic resiliency. This will remain an eBay priority across America and around the world.