This in-depth report explores how independent small businesses and entrepreneurs, based in California, were able to quickly turn to eBay’s digital marketplace during the pandemic and increase their focus on remote retail to connect with consumers across America and around the world.  eBay helped small businesses, both existing and new to online, meet growing consumer ecommerce demand, and help compensate for oftentimes declining local retail demand. The report also provides insights into the trade and growth of eBay-enabled small businesses across California and the United States prior to the pandemic.

Key findings include that: (1) In the six months following the initial pandemic lockdowns of March 2020, the number of eBay-enabled small businesses in California grew 30 percent and sales grew by an even greater 44 percent compared to the same time period in 2019; (2) Nearly every eBay-enabled small business in California, including those that are women-owned, is an exporter and this rate dwarfs that of traditional California businesses; and (3) Remote commerce plays a key role in helping local small businesses grow in rural and disadvantaged communities where consumer demand is chronically depressed. 

The findings presented in this report demonstrate that empowering independent small businesses to use technology to reach remote consumer markets, while operating in and supporting their local community, is a tool for long-term equitable and inclusive growth as well as economic resiliency. This will remain an eBay priority in California, across America and around the world.