EBay closes Depop acquisition and raises 2026 GMV outlook to 12.5% growth as online resale consolidates

EBay closed its acquisition of resale platform Depop this quarter and immediately raised its full-year outlook, now projecting gross merchandise volume growth of between 11.5% and 12.5% for 2026. The company posted second-quarter revenue of $3.13 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. The combination puts EBay squarely in the secondhand fashion category alongside its existing Motors and Collectibles verticals, and gives the platform a younger, mobile-first seller base it had not been able to build at scale on its own.

Resale consolidation accelerates on the platform side

The Depop close is not an isolated deal. It reflects a broader pattern in which large marketplace operators are acquiring niche resale platforms rather than competing with them incrementally. For procurement and category management teams that work with resale channels, the implication is direct: the number of independent platforms is shrinking, and the surviving ones are increasingly owned by companies with the infrastructure and capital to enforce seller policies, invest in fraud prevention, and negotiate volume terms.

EBay's revised GMV guidance is the clearest signal yet that the Depop integration is expected to contribute meaningfully to volume this year, not just in future periods. Operators who manage reverse logistics, trade-in, or certified pre-owned programs should take note of who controls the resale rails.

Etsy narrows focus and sheds 12% of its workforce

While EBay is expanding through acquisition, Etsy is moving in the opposite direction. CEO Kruti Goyal announced a 12% workforce reduction, framing it explicitly as a strategic narrowing rather than a cost-cutting exercise. According to The Wall Street Journal, Goyal said the cuts were not driven by cost-reduction initiatives or artificial intelligence. The target is the core handmade-goods marketplace, with resources being pulled from adjacent efforts that had diluted the platform's identity.

For enterprise buyers and brand partners that use Etsy as a channel for artisan or small-batch goods, the refocus has operational consequences. Teams and tools built around non-core categories or seller services may be wound down. Vendor managers who rely on Etsy's seller support infrastructure should confirm that the integrations and account services they depend on are within the scope of Goyal's retained core.

The explicit denial of AI as a driver is notable in an environment where most workforce reductions are at least partially attributed to automation. It suggests Etsy's operational challenge is structural and strategic, not a technology-substitution story. That distinction matters when evaluating whether the platform's seller economics will stabilize after the cuts.

Cencosud's 31 million loyalty customers set a regional benchmark

Latin American retailer Cencosud reported a record 31 million active loyalty customers in its second quarter of 2026, alongside double-digit growth in online sales, according to a Business Wire release from the company. Cencosud operates across multiple formats and countries in the region and has been building what it describes as a multiformat omnichannel ecosystem, combining physical stores, digital channels, and a private-label portfolio. The company also reported continued strategic acquisitions in Brazil and Colombia during the period.

Thirty-one million active loyalty members is not a vanity metric for a regional operator. It represents a first-party data asset that underpins personalization, inventory signaling, and promotional efficiency across every format in the network. For operations leaders benchmarking their own loyalty programs, Cencosud's numbers suggest that private-label depth and omnichannel access are the structural enablers, not marketing spend alone.

What this means for platform and retail operations teams

• Audit your resale channel exposure: with EBay absorbing Depop, evaluate whether your reverse logistics or trade-in programs route through platforms that may soon operate under new policies or fee structures.
• Validate Etsy integrations now: if your vendor or sourcing team uses Etsy-supported tools or seller services outside the core handmade marketplace, confirm their status before the workforce reduction takes effect operationally.
• Benchmark loyalty program KPIs against Cencosud's 31 million active customer figure: if your omnichannel loyalty program is not generating comparable engagement at proportional scale, examine whether private-label expansion or format diversification is a missing lever.
• Track GMV guidance as a procurement signal: EBay's raised 2026 GMV outlook of up to 12.5% growth indicates rising transaction volume through its channels, which affects pricing dynamics for sellers and buyers on the platform.