eBay on Wednesday announced that it would buy Tise, a social marketplace focused on second-hand fashion and interior design, in a move the company hopes will deepen eBay’s consumer-to-consumer presence and attract younger buyers. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and the two companies said that the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.
Founded in Oslo, Tise mixes shopping with social mechanics — users can follow sellers and see when they post an item for sale, like and comment on listings, and scroll through a personalized feed of new inventory. The company also previously received an investment from eBay Ventures, so the acquisition is more of a strategic follow-on to an existing partnership than a cold start for both sides.
Why Tise Is Key in the Recommerce Boom for eBay
Tise has built a strong presence in the Nordics by combining style-led discovery with social features that keep buyers hooked. All of that social-first DNA is exactly what legacy marketplaces struggle to replicate: a feeling of community, identity and serendipity built on top of listings.
The timing coincides with the overall ascent of recommerce. thredUP’s Resale Report has also consistently found that resale is outpacing traditional retail, with U.S. resale expected to more than double in the next few years. Boston Consulting Group research has similarly found that secondhand apparel is growing up to seven times faster than total clothing sales, “driven by value-conscious Gen Z and millennial consumers, willingness from both younger and older shoppers to try new business models, and moves by established firms to tap into the high-growth market,” as well as environmentally conscious consumers.
In Europe, platforms like Vinted have proven the size of the addressable market for peer-to-peer resale; in the U.S., Depop (owned by Etsy) and Poshmark (backed by Naver) have shown that social dynamics — follows, likes and creator-style storefronts — drive frequency and repeat usage. Tise brings that playbook into eBay’s sphere, with an emphasis on on-trend, in-season items and a mobile-first experience.
How the Deal Aids eBay’s Strategy in Social Resale
eBay has been gradually revamping its marketplace, focusing on enthusiast categories and trust. Recent moves include expanding its Authenticity Guarantee offering for fashion and collectibles, as well as the purchase of Certilogo, an A.I.-powered product authentication company, to battle counterfeit goods. It also acquired TCGplayer to deepen its penetration of trading cards — another active community category.
To be sure, Tise facilitates those efforts on the front end. Its social features for the community, a constant feed of fresh inventory and seller profiles might just help eBay rekindle its opportunity in consumer-to-consumer, where in a world of social shopping and mobile-native flows it has fallen behind. Whether Tise stays as a separate brand or has its features integrated into eBay’s main app, the synergy is obvious: Tise’s engagement mechanics with eBay’s international audience, payments, shipping programs and buyer protection.
The integration also comes with a data advantage. Tise’s social signals—follows, likes and comments—can be used to augment personalization and recommendations. Paired with eBay’s size, that could accelerate the sell-through rate for trend-driven wares, a critical value driver for sellers already used to the speedy cycles of social commerce.
What It Means for Buyers and Sellers on eBay and Tise
For the time being, users on both platforms should expect business as usual. Over time, shoppers might see more personalized discovery, creator-style stores and richer profiles that highlight trusted sellers. Sellers, meanwhile, can get more frequent exposure through social tools as well as taking advantage of the protections, payments and logistics system already in place on eBay.
Trust and safety remain pivotal. eBay’s own investments in authentication and fraud protection, married with the tight-knit communities of Tise, could help drive down friction around quality and counterfeits, two systemic challenges that have plagued secondhand fashion. The challenge will be in retaining the community feel of Tise while drawing on eBay’s scale.
Competitive Context: What to Watch in Social Resale
The purchase moves eBay into closer competition with social resale leaders that have flourished by speaking the language of Gen Z. Though TikTok, Instagram and other social platforms help drive purchasing, dedicated resale apps still have advantages in peer-to-peer flows and liquidity of inventory. Tise hands eBay a social engine that doesn’t require it to try to reinvent the wheel.
Key questions ahead: how quickly social features flow into the main eBay marketplace, whether Tise expands beyond the Nordics, and how sustainability metrics — like estimated carbon and water savings per purchase — are surfaced to buyers. Market observers will also be on the lookout for signs — or a lack thereof — in eBay’s seller fee structures, cross-border C2C shipping options and progress on counterfeit enforcement in fashion.
Founded in 2014, Tise has raised about $45 million, according to Tracxn. The deal, from the perspective of eBay and a mandate to bring C2C into the modern age, underscores a big pattern in the industry: resale is no longer just a sideshow to retail but an entire, community- and discovery-driven segment that increasingly aligns with sustainability.
