eBay's decision to remove two graphic elements from the search results page on November 9th in an effort to make its search results appear faster have sellers concerned about the effect on traffic to their Stores. eBay is removing the "Get More Results" module and "Matching eBay Stores" module on search results, and will leave the "See all matching eBay Stores" as a text link in the same location.

A spirited discussion is taking place on the eBay Stores board (link), where the original poster reported that the module had a direct affect on sales and traffic to their eBay Store. An eBay employee has been responding to buyers' and sellers' concerns.

In its announcement, eBay said the features were not widely used by buyers and take extra time to load. In a letter to AuctionBytes, a reader wrote that there were four issues with the change:
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I'll give you an analogy...

Your in a very busy mall with hundreds of stores, and above you is a bright flashing sign advertising a store that's not actually in the mall. Lots of other big signs appear here and there next to the mall stores advertising non-mall products sort-of-similar to what is being sold right there in that store. These annoying signs are actually larger, brighter, and more noticeable than any of the mall store signs.

But there, next to the escalator, partially blocked by a store display, is a small sign advertising a few of the actual mall stores. Another sign next to the bathrooms mentions that there's another mall level down an almost hidden set of stairs. Few people notice these tiny signs, and even fewer venture down the dark stairwell to this "other" mall level.

The mall is not doing so well, and the mall stores are complaining. Everyone agrees that there's just too many distractions and obstacles for buyers in the mall. The mall owner's solution?

Get rid of the small sign and the stairs to the "other" level because even though few people read these signs or use those stairs, they are a major distraction from the mall's main level. Besides, now there will be more room for additional flashing signs for businesses outside of the mall.

And the mall owner doesn't understand why the store owners are still upset....

With the rediculas listing fees and FVF pecentage they are charging for store sales I would think they would be very pleased to display a red carpet to seller's stores. They can only pretend to be doing well for so long. I think the cats out the bag. they are in trouble.

Perhaps they are doing us all a favor by letting us see how STUPID they really are. No Problem - find a place that does free listing put your main inventory there. With every email , bill, receipt to your customers - point out the location of your offebay site inventory.

I had 4000 items in my store as a lot of others here did a year ago. now i keep 300 store items there and I rotate them out every 30 days with a large note in each Ebay auction and store listing -- telling people if they want the items they have 30 days and after 30 days they be gone.

Ebay is the one that should be concerned if they do not start doing their job a little better in advertizing the stores - then the store sellers will and HAVE taken their things elsewhere.

It's just one more attempt to get people to close their stores and pay the higher listing fees that "core" sellers pay.

They seem to constantly overlook the fact that store owners pay a montly fee that "core" sellers don't, not to mention that they pay a considerably higher FVF that "core" seller don't.

But then again, eBay has moved from one side of the spectrum to the other, repeating this motion on an almost endless repitition for as long as I can remember.

Perhaps the store owners will close their stores, thereby giving eBay what they think they want, until such a time as they figure out that it's not the answer that they were looking for, at which time, they will put emphasis on stores once again...for a short while, until the cycle starts to repeat itself.

Or more likely, the store owners will whine and gripe once more, then continue as they have been.