According to Facebook, 450 million people use its site – mainly the “Groups” feature – to buy and sell stuff locally, anything from cars to baby clothes to furniture. Now, the company is launching a separate “marketplace” section that seeks to make it easier to do this.
The last time Facebook tried its hand at such a marketplace was nine years ago, and it didn’t really go anywhere. Like Facebook itself at the time, it was a desktop computer-only product. The latest effort, or course, works on mobile devices, so it’s easier to snap a photo of the item you are selling and upload it on the site.
Facebook Inc. on Monday said the most popular items people currently buy and sell on the service include; furniture, cars and clothes.
According to the company, over the next few days, Marketplace will be rolling out to everyone over 18 years old in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand on the Facebook app for iPhone and Android, while they continue to expand to additional countries and also make Marketplace available on the desktop version of Facebook in the coming months.
How to Post Items for Sale in Just a Few Steps:
Selling an item in Marketplace is just as easy as browsing for one. Simply:
- Take a photo of your item, or add it from your camera roll.
- Enter a product name, description and price.
- Confirm your location and select a category.
- Post.
Anyone looking in your area can find your items and will send you a message you if they want to buy it.
To keep track of all of your current and past transactions in Marketplace, visit the Your Items section. There, you can view your saved items, products you’ve posted for sale, and all your messages with people.
Source: Associated Press and Facebook Newsroom
