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TODAY’S MAZE
Happy Thursday! Today’s recap covers eBay’s $1.2 billion deal for Depop. It’s a major bet on social-driven resale for younger buyers.
This move signals a shift toward buying communities to fuel growth. Can eBay successfully scale this platform without alienating its core audience?
In today’s MarketMaze focus:
eBay acquires Depop marketplace
TikTok pauses shipping changes
DoorDash challenges Amazon grocery
Rufus influences shopping choices
Crypto payments remain niche
+Handpicked recent news you need to know
LET’S ENTER THE MAZE!
- Artur Stańczuk, MarketMaze Founder
MAZE STORY
The Maze: eBay agreed to purchase Depop from Etsy for $1.2 billion in cash to bolster its appeal among younger shoppers. This acquisition coincides with eBay reporting a 10% increase in Gross Merchandise Volume for Q4 2025.
Integrating the social-forward marketplace brings 7 million active buyers to eBay, providing immediate access to a demographic where 90% of users are currently under the age of 34.
Selling Depop represents a reversal of the House of Brands strategy for Etsy, which originally paid $1.62 billion for the app in 2021 before narrowing its focus to its core platform.
The acquisition follows eBay's rollout of agentic AI tools that guide sellers through the listing process by autonomously generating titles and categories from smartphone photos.
Why it matters: This move signals a shift from broad expansion to targeted demographic acquisition as legacy platforms struggle to maintain organic growth. eBay cements its leadership in recommerce while utilizing AI to simplify the selling experience.
Following eBay’s acquisition of Depop from Etsy, which platform is best positioned to lead secondhand fashion resale globally over the next 3 years?
☝️ Vote to see results!
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MAZE STORY
The Maze: DoorDash is pivoting to an "operating system for local commerce" to outmaneuver Amazon’s grocery expansion. CEO Tony Xu claims providing shoppers with variety through merchant partnerships creates a selection advantage that Amazon cannot match.
The marketplace expects its grocery and retail business to reach unit-economic profitability during the second half of 2026 as larger "stock-up" order volumes continue to scale.
DoorDash is leveraging its SevenRooms acquisition to offer merchants advanced CRM tools that manage reservations, marketing, and customer loyalty programs.
CEO Tony Xu describes a future logistics framework where a mixed fleet of human Dashers and autonomous vehicles handles complex retail and grocery fulfillment.
Why it matters: DoorDash is evolving into a critical infrastructure partner for traditional retailers rather than just a third-party delivery service. This strategy enables scaling grocery operations while allowing capturing a larger share of the weekly household budget.
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MAZE STORY
The Maze: TikTok Shop abruptly paused its plan to end independent shipping in the U.S. after merchants threatened to leave the platform over mandatory platform-controlled logistics requirements.
The original policy aimed to phase out independent shipping by March, potentially forcing merchants to choose between platform-managed logistics or losing access to the U.S. market.
Brands warned that TikTok’s in-house fulfillment services still experience growing pains, including inventory errors and shipping delays that complicate viral demand forecasting.
Industry consultants noted that mandatory logistics makes recruiting brands harder because enterprise sellers require centralized inventory systems and established 3PL partners.
Why it matters: TikTok’s pivot suggests that merchant retention outweighs the benefits of capturing fulfillment fees. This reversal protects seller margins and allows brands to use existing supply chains.
DATA TREASURE
The Maze: Assistants influence more than they transact. Rufus may tag a tiny share of GMV directly, but it is quietly reshaping how shoppers decide and convert.
Amazon disclosed that hundreds of millions of shoppers interacted with Rufus in 2025, with usage and interactions growing triple digits year over year.
Shoppers who use Rufus during a session are far more likely to complete a purchase, suggesting the tool removes uncertainty that normally causes drop off.
GMV attribution understates impact because Rufus compresses the funnel by answering questions that would otherwise stall or redirect shoppers.
Why it matters: Search optimization is evolving into answer optimization. Brands that structure listings for assistants will win shelf space even if the sale still looks traditional.
DATA TREASURE
The Maze: Merchants choose boring reliability. Crypto remains niche at checkout because it solves fewer problems than cards, wallets, and local payment rails.
Only ~12% of North American merchants accept crypto, far behind cards, wallets, and even cash on delivery, reflecting operational caution rather than ideology.
Payment teams prioritize reconciliation, refunds, and fraud handling, areas where crypto still adds complexity unless tightly wrapped in stablecoin flows.
Consumer usage remains limited, with only a small fraction of crypto holders actually paying with it, weakening the case for broad rollout.
Why it matters: Payments follow incentives, not hype. Crypto will scale in ecommerce only where it clearly beats existing rails on cost, speed, or cross border friction.
BRIEFING
🏬 Everything else in Ecommerce & Big Tech
🇫🇷 Carrefour unveiled its 2030 strategy focusing on "agentic commerce" and AI-driven margins while prioritizing private labels and fresh produce pricing.
🇺🇸 Amazon mandated a 14-day deadline for sellers to audit their automation and AI tools for compliance with updated Business Solutions Agreement terms.
🇺🇸 Kana launched from stealth with $15 million in funding to develop customizable, agent-based AI tools designed to automate complex marketing workflows.
🌍 CFOs are navigating a shift from per-seat SaaS billing to usage-based models as AI resource demands disrupt traditional enterprise software costs.
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