In the world of online resale, Facebook Marketplace is often overlooked amid the plethora of other platforms focused on distanced selling, but Marketplace is a hugely popular platform for the trading of secondhand goods — particularly for deals done locally. In fact, every day, one of out every four of Facebook’s 250 million daily active users who hail from the “young adult” cohort visit Marketplace.
To maintain its popularity with resale enthusiasts, Meta has given Marketplace a glow-up that brings the platform more in line with its competitors while maintaining what makes its stand apart. In addition to offerings from local sellers, Marketplace now includes listings from Ebay and Poshmark, and the company is boosting its auto sales credentials with new AI-powered features. These updates are in addition to a range of new experience improvements aimed at making shopping on Marketplace more “social and collaborative.”
Shop Ebay and Poshmark on Facebook Marketplace
As on other platforms, younger shoppers are increasingly turning to Marketplace for fashion purchases. Marketplace already features more than 200 million fashion listings in the U.S., making it the second-largest category on the platform after home décor.
Now Facebook has begun integrating listings from Ebay and Poshmark to give Marketplace shoppers even more options across not just fashion, but other categories, like electronics, as well. These “partner listings” are marked with an icon, and shoppers are directed to the partner platform to complete purchases if they choose to buy something.
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A large, diverse assortment is one of the biggest drivers of traffic for resale platforms, and is becoming even more important as resale competitors each look to become the first and only stop for shoppers. The principle is that the more inventory, the better the chance a platform will have what a shopper is looking for and not have to go anywhere else (admittedly, this is much harder to do when each item is unique in style, quality and size, as inventory is in resale). Both Ebay and ThredUp also have been pushing hard in recent years to increase the selection on their platforms.
Resale Competition in Auto Sector Revs Up
Another major Marketplace update: the debut of new AI-powered features to make buying and selling cars on the platform easier. Vehicles are already one of the top five searches among young adults on Marketplace, and now when shoppers search for cars they will see a range of new AI-powered insights to inform their decision. These include details about the car that a seller might not have included themselves, such as engine options, safety ratings, transmission type, seating, cargo capacity, reviews and price insights.
Used cars are quickly becoming a hotly contested resale category, with both Ebay and Amazon also ramping up their used car experiences and capabilities in recent months.
Making Marketplace More ‘Social and Collaborative’
Marketplace’s glow-up also encompasses a range of new features and experience improvements, including:
- Likes and comments: Shoppers can now react and comment directly on Marketplace listings like they do on other Facebook posts. And when a shopper likes a Marketplace item, Facebook will learn more about what they are interested in and show items aligned with their preferences;
- Collections: A new feature that lets buyers create groups of Marketplace listings and invite friends to join. When shoppers save a listing, they can now also start a new collection and choose whether to make the collection public or private, as well add friends to the collection and share updates via their Facebook feed, Messenger or WhatsApp. Meta said it also is testing collaborative buying so friends can join a chat with a seller and more easily coordinate pickup, negotiate prices and get questions answered (imagine roommates looking for a new couch together);
- Improved checkout:Buyers will now have a more transparent process for shipped purchase, with total costs — including shipping and tax — shown upfront. They also will receive notifications about their order and delivery status; and
- More suggested questions: Seller chats now include more suggested conversational options beyond the Marketplace mainstay, “Is this still available?” When buyers message a seller, Meta AI will now suggest additional questions based on the listing and the current chat, making it easier to get the info they need.
