EBay pressed the “Buy It Now” button by announcing it reached an agreement to acquire Tise, a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) social marketplace headquartered in Oslo, Norway. The acquisition, the company said in a press release, will strengthen eBay’s global footprint in C2C commerce.

Immediately, the deal will expand eBay’s reach in the Nordic region. There, Tise operates its online marketplace for secondhand fashion and lifestyle goods.

EBay ranks No. 6 in Digital Commerce 360’s Global Online Marketplaces Database. The database ranks the 100 largest such marketplaces by annual third-party gross merchandise volume (GMV). 

Why eBay is acquiring Tise

“This acquisition is a natural next step in our investment in Tise, which will allow us to accelerate Tise’s strategy and unlock new opportunities for innovation,” said Oliver Klinck, vice president and general manager of global markets success and C2C at eBay. “With Tise’s on-trend inventory, loyal community, and social-first approach, we’ll strengthen eBay’s C2C offerings and more deeply connect with the next generation of enthusiasts.”

Tise also celebrated the acquisition.

“At Tise, we’ve always believed that making resale fun, easy, and inspiring is key to a more sustainable world,” said Eirik Frøyland Rime, CEO and co-founder of Tise. “EBay shares our vision, and with their support, we will enhance our community-driven model and enable even more people to participate in the social marketplace.”

The companies did not disclose terms of the deal, but some reports have Tise valued at $130 million.

eBay goes hyper-local

Elie Berreby, senior growth advisor at the digital consultancy SEM King, said eBay’s acquisition of Tise allows it to capture a targeted, hyper-local audience of over 2.5 million young, engaged users across the Nordic region.

“This is a profoundly targeted user base: pre-qualified individuals interested in a social, secondhand marketplace for apparel and interiors, located in a highly connected part of Europe,” Berreby explained.

He noted that within the eBay portfolio, Tise will be positioned to become the global marketplace for the socially driven younger generation. That would be expanding well beyond its Nordic roots (Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland).

“The eBay brand, in contrast, will likely maintain its focus on the slightly older, broader global market,” Berreby stated.

He emphasized that this isn’t just an audience grab. EBay is modernizing its portfolio by acquiring the “fun, social and eco-responsible” emotions associated with the Tise brand.

“They are going to scale a business model that resonates strongly with the European consumer,” Berreby assessed.

He noted that Tise will become eBay’s brand aimed at the younger generation that responds to social signals.

B2B opportunities could follow C2C success

Digital strategist Chris Lin said while Tise is a C2C company, there are B2B implications as well.

“The more recommerce that eBay goes for, the greater opportunities that exist for logistics companies, resale tech ventures and brands considering authenticated aftermarkets,” Lin stated.

He added that there are many different manifestations, with:

• Trade-in loops
• Refurbishment deals
• Brand storefronts within a resale ecosystem

“If Tise’s tech gets scaled globally, there could be new layers of monetization for B2B by way of social selling platforms and resale-as-a-service platforms,” Lin said, noting that “eBay won’t out-Amazon Amazon or out-Walmart Walmart.”

So what it’s doing is bringing community, sustainability and identity together with commerce, Lin added.

“While the giants are racing toward faster shipping, eBay’s bet is on slower fashion and higher intent,” he said. “That’s differentiation — a survival strategy in an increasingly verticalized marketplace ecosystem.”

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