Facebook takes on eBay with formal Marketplace for local buying & selling

Overnight Facebook announced Australia would be one of just four countries globally to get their new feature “Marketplace” allowing users to buy and sell goods via Facebook direct to people in their local area.

Alongside the US, UK and New Zealand, Australians over 18 will see the Marketplace feature in their mobile app over the coming days.

The feature draws on and expands upon the buy-swap-and-sell groups which have been operating on Facebook for some time, and that Facebook formally embraced more recently with a whole “Buy and Sell Groups” feature which not only put these localised groups in an easy to find area of Facebook but enabled easier “transactional” features like Sell buttons for new posts.

Marketplace may compliment or more likely directly compete with these groups, as it does the job of localising products for the sellers and buyers, removing the need to join and be approved for membership in a local area group.

With the tap of a button, click of your camera any item you like could be listed for sale almost immediately.

Sellers can search for products, and place offers directly within the app, with the whole process taking place peer to peer – or direct person to person.

Facebook is not facilitating the transaction, and does not charge for the listings.

Benefits for Facebook will include more time spent in the app by users, more usage of the app, and better analytics about our likes and dislikes and potentially item sale listings for advertisers targeted to areas.

The Marketplace feature will be in your Facebook app very soon!