A significant transition is underway in the e-commerce analytics sector as ShelfTrend, a tool favoured by eBay sellers for marketplace research, prepares to cease operations of its existing app. In an email sent to customers on Monday, the company announced that the ShelfTrend app will be shut down effective February 5th, 2025. This decision is driven by changes in the eBay platform that affect developer access to essential APIs required for generating reports for users.
Anojan Abel, co-founder of ShelfTrend, informed EcommerceBytes that eBay has opted to restrict access to the Developer APIs crucial for third-party services that provide marketplace insights. Abel stated, "We’ve asked for access but unfortunately it doesn’t look like they will be letting 3rd Parties continue to deliver marketplace insights to sellers." This development follows eBay's acquisition of Terapeak, a research tool that has likely influenced the current environment for third-party applications.
The transition will see ShelfTrend pivot to a new offering called ShelfTrend AI, which the company describes as “an innovative, AI-powered approach to ecommerce intelligence.” The email to sellers reassured them that they would still be able to use the existing app until the specified shutdown date. Moreover, users are encouraged to stay informed about developments concerning the new AI-powered service through updates on the ShelfTrend website and via email communications.
Since its inception in 2016, ShelfTrend has supported over 70,000 e-commerce brands and sellers. The firm's communication expressed gratitude for the support provided by its users throughout the years. In a press release, Abel remarked, “This marks the end of one chapter but the beginning of an exciting new journey. We’re using this opportunity to pivot and focus our efforts on ShelfTrend AI, a next-generation AI-powered application being designed to deliver insights to ecommerce sellers worldwide.”
As ShelfTrend charts this new path, the implications for eBay sellers and the broader e-commerce landscape remain to be fully understood, particularly in terms of the potential impacts on business practices and access to data-driven insights in an increasingly automated marketplace.
Source: Noah Wire Services