In December, Ellicia Chiu and Cher Su had only some bins in tow once they moved right into a walk-up condo in New York’s Lower East Side group. Before their transfer, from Los Angeles, the 2 buddies knew that they’d wish to furnish their new condo with small kitchen home equipment, décor and furnishings. But as a substitute of buying new pieces, they knew it might be extra reasonably priced to search out secondhand pieces on Facebook Marketplace, the social community’s buy-and-sell carrier.
“I only use Facebook for Marketplace,” stated Ms. Chiu, 24, who added that she spent maximum of her social time on TikTok and Instagram, which is owned by means of Meta, Facebook’s mother or father corporate.
For many 20-somethings who don’t have numerous disposable source of revenue, Marketplace is a spot to get offers on pieces they wouldn’t generally have the ability to manage to pay for.
“As someone who’s in their young 20s, I want to have nicer things but I don’t have the financial means to get there yet,” stated Ms. Chiu, who added that she most popular Marketplace over different websites as a result of its interface used to be simple to make use of, making it more straightforward to search out offers on furnishings.
Over the previous decade, Facebook has declined in recognition with Gen Z as a social web page, a 2022 Pew Research Center survey discovered. Instead, more youthful individuals are spending extra in their social time on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.
“Facebook Marketplace is often referred to as ‘the internet’s garage sale’ and is a modern-day counterpart to eBay and Craigslist,” stated Yoo-Kyoung Seock, a professor of textiles, vending and interiors on the University of Georgia, who research client conduct amongst Gen Z and millennials and environmental sustainability within the textile business. “The platform’s remarkable success is largely due to the trust users place in it, which is a result of its unique connection to Facebook’s social network.”
For a era this is environmentally-conscious and prefers to buy secondhand, Marketplace has transform in style.
“Young people, including students and young professionals, are increasingly drawn to used goods,” Dr. Seock stated. Faster inflation has additionally made secondhand purchases a realistic selection, she added.
Launched in 2016, Marketplace has over one billion per thirty days lively customers and is the second one hottest on-line web page for secondhand items, in the back of eBay, consistent with a 2022 survey by means of Statista, an organization that gives marketplace knowledge. Meta doesn’t say a lot about Marketplace as a industry, how its demographics might vary from Facebook total and whether or not it has a imaginative and prescient to develop the platform in its annual experiences. Meta didn’t reply to questions on whether or not it has long-term industry objectives for Marketplace or if it used to be acutely aware of the platform’s recognition amongst Gen Z.
Some consumers say they like Marketplace over Craigslist, which used to be in style amongst older generations on the lookout for used items, as a result of not like Craigslist, Marketplace consumers and dealers have profiles with rankings that lead them to extra faithful and messaging is integrated on Facebook, making verbal exchange simple.
Marketplace is unfastened for consumers to make use of. Although dealers can come upon transaction charges, a lot of them steer clear of it by means of promoting in the neighborhood and asking consumers to carry money when choosing up their acquire. Ms. Chiu stated she normally paid the use of Venmo, although she would carry money if a vendor insisted.
Ms. Chiu and Ms. Su stated their favourite Marketplace acquire used to be a sofa from West Elm, which the vendor had for not up to a yr. The sofa price $1,200 at retail, and so they bought it for $145. Ms. Chiu stated the vendor had warned her that the sofa had cat scratch marks, but if she and Ms. Su confirmed up to take a look at it, they didn’t see many scuffs.
Some in their different favourite Marketplace reveals come with a Zojirushi rice cooker (retail value: $150; bought on Marketplace for $50), a Dyson vacuum (retail value: $470; bought on Marketplace for $135) and an IKEA NORDEN extendable desk (retail value: $350; bought on Marketplace for $150).
In general, Ms. Chiu and Ms. Su stated they spent roughly $1,400 on greater than 30 pieces bought from Marketplace and estimated that they stored greater than $3,000.
Not all of Ms. Chiu’s and Ms. Su’s purchases had been successes: Ms. Chiu as soon as purchased a plant from a vendor that she came upon had root rot when she attempted to repot it. Buyers must determine returns with dealers on Marketplace, and Ms. Chiu’s plant vendor later presented her a reimbursement of fifty % of the associated fee she had paid, which she authorized. Ms. Su stated she as soon as purchased a bookshelf that fell aside as soon as she used to be house. She used to be now not in a position to get a reimbursement.
Ms. Su stated that she used to be acutely aware of Marketplace scams and attempted to steer clear of them. “There are many scammers that try to ask for personal information when messaging about items — so beware of that too!” she warned. (Meta supplies customers with guides on spotting and keeping off scams.)
Sebastian Ramos, a junior at DePaul University in Chicago, additionally makes use of Marketplace to shop for and promote pieces, and he even as soon as were given a unfastened sofa (estimated retail value: $1,300). He has additionally bought acrylic vinyl report cabinets (estimated retail value: $45; bought on Marketplace for $10) and bought his used Nintendo 3DS (retail value: $200; bought on Marketplace for $150).
Mr. Ramos, 21, stated he didn’t use Facebook for social media, however he loved buying secondhand pieces on Marketplace to save cash and likewise as a result of he preferred buying groceries at thrift retail outlets.
“You don’t have to pay more for a new thing when you can find something that has been used, or even slightly used, for a lot cheaper,” he stated.
Sarah Williams, who lives in Kenosha, Wis., is an government assistant and a brand new mother. Shortly after she and her husband discovered that they have been anticipating a child ultimate yr, Ms. Williams stated Marketplace used to be the primary position she began having a look to shop for child pieces.
The first merchandise on her checklist used to be a light-toned picket crib. But the cribs that she discovered on-line have been indexed for $1,200 and have been out of her price range.
“The prices were just absolutely ridiculous,” Ms. Williams, 24, stated.
After a rigorous two-week seek on-line, she discovered a crib she preferred {that a} girl who lived close to her had indexed on Marketplace. After messaging from side to side thru Facebook Messenger with the vendor, Ms. Williams and her husband drove to the lady’s area to check out the crib. They purchased it for $300 — 75 % not up to the unique value — when they noticed that it used to be in excellent form.
“It was a very nice exchange, and it felt very personable,” Ms. Williams stated.
Ms. Williams stated she was hoping to search out different moms on Marketplace who had pieces they now not wanted as a result of their youngsters had outgrown them.
Like Ms. Williams, Ms. Chiu and Ms. Su stated that having the ability to community and meet new folks when choosing up their Marketplace purchases were an relaxing a part of their transferring revel in and settling into their new house.
“That’s what Facebook started as, and it’s cool that Marketplace is also fostering that,” Ms. Su stated.
