eBay's Depop Acquisition Under Australian Regulatory Review - Will Tise Expansion Raise Red Flags?
As eBay's acquisition of fashion marketplace Depop from Etsy faces review by Australian competition authorities, will recent expansion of Tise in the region raise additional regulatory red flags?
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has launched an assessment of the ~$1.2B Depop deal under their standard merger control regime to determine how the acquisition by eBay (expected to close in Q2) will impact buyers, sellers and competing pre-owned fashion marketplaces operating in the country.
Liz Morton
To complete this assessment, ACCC has posted a questionnaire seeking comment from the public with responses due by April 14, 2026.
Here's what the regulators want to know:
Sellers
ACCC is asking sellers of pre-owned fashion items on online platforms in Australia to describe their experiences with eBay, Depop different platforms; why they may choose not to sell on eBay and/or Depop; and if they feel there are barriers to changing platforms.
- Provide an overview of your experience as a seller of pre-owned fashion items in Australia, including:
- which platforms you use and why (and whether you have any preferred platforms)
- what categories of fashion items best describe the items you sell
- whether you list the same item(s) for sale on more than one platform.
- Do you use other online or offline channels in Australia to sell pre-owned fashion items? If so, please provide details (for example, local markets or consignment stores) and whether you sell the same items or type(s) of items through these channels as you do on eBay or Depop (if applicable).
- If you have previously used eBay, Depop or both to sell pre-owned fashion items but no longer do so, please outline why.
- Please provide details of any features available on Depop that are important to you when selling pre-owned fashion items (for example, seller fees, the listing process or other platform features). How do these compare to eBay?
- Please identify any barriers to changing platforms.
Buyers
The commission is also interested in how the acquisition will impact pre-owned fashion buyers in the country, asking the following questions:
- Provide an overview of your experience as a buyer of pre-owned fashion on eBay and/or Depop, including:
- how often you use (or used) each of eBay and Depop and why
- what categories of fashion items best describe the items you buy (or bought) on eBay or Depop
- which other platforms (for example, Facebook Marketplace, Facebook groups, Gumtree or Instagram) or offline stores (for example, op shops or local markets) you use (or used) and why.
- If you have previously used eBay or Depop to purchase pre-owned fashion items but no longer do so, please explain why.
- Please provide details of any features available on Depop that are important to you when buying pre-owned fashion items (for example, fees, delivery timeframes or other platform features). How do these compare to eBay?
Other Marketplaces
And finally, regulators also want to know how competing marketplaces and social media services which allow users to buy or sell fashion items will be affected by the merger.
These questions are for suppliers of online platforms which consumers in Australia can use to buy or sell fashion items.
These may include specialised fashion marketplaces, general online marketplaces where fashion is one of several product categories, or social media services with features that allow for the sale of pre-owned fashion items to consumers in Australia.
- Provide a brief description of your business or organisation, including any commercial relationships with eBay and/or Depop.
- To what extent do you compete with eBay and/or Depop in the supply of online marketplace services in Australia, particularly with respect to pre-owned fashion items?
- What are the main ways in which you compete with eBay or Depop for buyers or sellers of pre-owned fashion items (for example, listing fees, platform features or terms of use)?
On that last point, it appears the Commission is unaware that another eBay-owned secondhand fashion marketplace, Tise, has recently expanded into the Australian market - raising the potential antitrust and market dominance stakes even higher.
The Norwegian-based shopping app was the first investment funded by eBay Ventures back in 2022 before being acquired by the company in 2025 as part of its broader consumer to consumer, pre-loved fashion strategy.
Liz Morton
But what the ACCC seems to be missing is that Tise quietly expanded into the Australian market in February, further consolidating eBay's pre-loved fashion market dominance in the country ahead of the Depop deal.
Since Tise was not operating in Australia when they were bought by eBay, that acquisition would not have undergone the same regulatory scrutiny - and it's a good bet that this review by the ACCC is one reason for the soft launch focused on Instagram influencers rather than Australia-wide major media attention.
Importantly, Tise follows a similar model as Depop, advertising a fee-free experience for sellers while charging a "service fee" to the buyer and eBay will be switching to a similar model for most items sold by consumer/non-professional sellers in late April/early May.
Liz Morton
The final section of the ACCC's questionnaire asks buyers, sellers, and competing marketplaces to provide any additional information or comments relevant to eBay's acquisition of Depop - which would be a perfect place to air concerns about how recent fee changes and the Tise expansion may contribute to eBay's growing dominance of the pre-owned fashion market in Australia.
The Commission is expected to make their final determination regarding eBay's acquisition of Depop by May 19, 2026.
Stay tuned for updates and let us know in the comments below how you believe this deal will affect the competitive landscape for pre-loved fashion in Australia!
