eBay aims to enhance Promoted Listings by adopting Amazon’s management style.
eBay seeks revenue growth in ads
Job ad shows focus on performance
Single Threaded Owner concept used
Sellers unhappy with ad model changes
Costs rising without better returns
Potential updates for US market soon
Concerns about ad effectiveness persist
eBay is looking to increase its advertising revenue from Promoted Listings by taking cues from Amazon’s strategies. They are searching for a new manager to focus on performance metrics, despite seller pushback on recent changes.
New Leadership Strategy at eBay
eBay is following Amazon’s management style by hiring a “Single Threaded Owner” (STO) to lead Promoted Listings ads performance. This role is dedicated exclusively to growing adoption, revenue, and customer satisfaction, ensuring end-to-end accountability for this critical business area.[1][2]
Amazon’s Single-Threaded Leader concept means one person focuses solely on a specific product or initiative to drive real results.
This approach is seen as a way to counteract diffused responsibilities and improve execution effectiveness.[2][3]
Changes in Promoted Listings Attribution Model
Starting in early 2025, eBay rolled out new Promoted Listings attribution rules in Germany, the UK, Australia, France, Italy, Spain, and other EU countries:
Sellers are charged ad fees if any buyer clicked the promoted ad in the prior 30 days—even if that buyer did not make the purchase.[4][5][1]
This change significantly increased the percentage of sales attributed to ads, with some sellers reporting over 80% ad attribution on sales after the update.[5]
Sellers report rising costs but no proportional increase in sales or ROI, leading to dissatisfaction and distrust.[6][5]
Expansion and Seller Impact in North America
While eBay has not officially announced the rollout for US and Canada, policy updates and removal of dedicated ads communications suggest North American sellers may face similar attribution changes soon.[1]
Seller pushback is strong due to increased fees and unclear value.
Adoption of Promoted Listings is already high in many categories (70%+), signaling potential market saturation.[5][1]
Ad Revenue Reporting and Off-Platform Growth
In Q1 2025, eBay began reporting a new “Off-Platform Ads” revenue metric including income from TCGPlayer and Qoo10 marketplaces, expanding ad revenue sources beyond the main marketplace.[7][8][1]
First-party ads, including Promoted Listings, generated $418 million in Q1 2025, a 13-14% increase year-over-year.[9][7]
Q2 2025 revenues grew further, but it remains unclear how much growth is due to new attribution models versus increased adoption.[1]
Seller Trust and Future Outlook
Temporary minimum ad rate hikes and suspected dark pattern tactics have eroded trust among sellers.[1]
The upcoming Q3 2025 earnings report (due October 29) will be closely watched to evaluate the success of these changes amid seller concerns and regulatory scrutiny.[1]
eBay’s move to Amazon’s focused leadership style aims to sharpen ad product execution but may face resistance from sellers wary of higher costs without clear benefits.[10]
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