We’re smack dab in the middle (figuratively, not literally, of course) of the eBay seller strike. And what began Monday, February 19 (and is intended to push through a 5-day stretch) has caused the online auction giant to see the number of its listings drop from 14.5 million to a (mere) 14 million, according to Brandi Stewart of Fortune Small Business. That amounts to a 3% decline, which, if eBay fails to account for the hit in the weeks and months ahead, may register as more of a scar than a shallow bruise.
At first glance, it seems that a decrease of a half-million listings over the course of 2-3 days is likely to be a non-issue for eBay. But perception is often conferred as reality in the modern corporate jungle, and because the number of listings is likely to continue dropping several points further by the end of Friday, the company may have to tend carefully to a PR image that shows noticeable damage. The company declined to verify the accuracy of the aforementioned estimate, which was determined by the third-party sites PowerSellersUnite and medved.net, among others.