EBay's failed takeover bid of GameStop highlights the challenges of larger companies acquiring niche startups and the impact of uncertainty and financing on deal completion. The article highlights the differences in the direct seller-customer interaction models of eBay, Depop, and GameStop.
The eBay logo appears on a smartphone screen in the Apple app store in this photo illustration in Ontario, Canada, on Feb. 25, 2026. The company listed several factors it considered, including “the uncertainty” around the deal’s financing, as well as the impact of the proposal onThis marks the end of a short-lived takeover bid for a global e-commerce leader.
GameStop offered to buy eBay for $55.5 billion, half of which would be paid in cash while the rest in common stock, over a week ago. eBay is no stranger to acquisitions. In February, it announced that it was buying the Gen Z fashion resale platform, according to Dr. Jiyoung Kim, professor and associate dean at Center for Consumer Insights and Innovations in the University of North Texas.
“Both eBay and Depop carry a reputation of ‘being run by people’ with minimal control of the retailer,” Kim said in an e-mail interview with the Sourcing Journal on Tuesday.
“While this can lead to problems such as seller scam or unreliable return policy, it is favored by many because the platform is based on direct seller-customer interaction that allows a better ‘product scavenger hunt’ experience for the buyers and a higher selling price for the If eBay and Depop are run by the people, with the companies providing guidance and quality control, GameStop’s model, on the other hand, puts the retailer in control, managing the entire process from trade-ins and pricing to shipping, she said.market by selling secondhand consoles and games, the volumes managed—not to mention the variables in every used apparel from sizing to quality—are not comparable.
Depop, Kim said, listed over 68 million items for sale with up to 600,000 items added daily, while GameStop’s secondhand listing currently lists less than 20,000 items.
“While I am not sure what GameStop had planned to do after eBay/Depop, the learning curve could have been pretty steep,” she said.. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the GoogleWWD and Women's Wear Daily are part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2026 Fairchild Publishing, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Ebay Gamestop Acquisition Uncertainty Financing Direct Seller-Customer Interaction Used Apparel Resale Platform Console Resale Business
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