Although the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many people in various industries and companies, it’s clear that women were more significantly affected both economically and socially compared to men. This could be because the business sectors that were hit hard during the pandemic employed more women than men, such as restaurants, hospitality, arts, and recreation.
Selling on eBay proved helpful in allowing women to earn an income and continue running small businesses while supporting their family and being able to work flexibly at home, especially during a time when many were burdened with increased household, childcare, and eldercare responsibilities.
Many women, from small business owners to entrepreneurs, found benefit in selling on eBay to handle hardships. 82% of women said they turned to E-commerce when faced with job loss, reduced income, illness, and loss of childcare among other concerns.
Additionally, 74% of women said that the flexibility of working from home was a convenience that was important to them when conducting business on eBay while 50% indicated that being their own boss was a great benefit of selling on the E-commerce site. E-commerce particularly helped small businesses grow and reach beyond their local markets with 69% of women stating the ability to sell on eBay was really useful.
In the first six months of the pandemic, the number of eBay-enabled U.S. small businesses grew by 34% and sales by eBay-enabled small businesses in the U.S. increased by 38%. E-commerce’s ability to connect with more global shoppers online has also been a huge component of the eBay marketplace. In the U.S., 97% of women-owned small businesses on eBay export their products, reaching 16 different countries on average each year.
eBay continues to support its community of sellers during difficult times and remain committed to using technology to support women and businesses around the world.
