New competition for eBay in Europe

This week Facebook launches its online trading platform Facebook Marketplace in 17 European countries, including Germany. Users of the new online platform can sell their unwanted possessions locally and search for preowned items in their area without incurring a charge. Offers are only visible within country borders. The platform was introduced in the USA, Australia and Great Britain ten months ago and attracts around 550 mio visitors a month. In May 2017 the platform had 18 mio new items up for sale. Industry experts believe that Facebook Marketplace is just the first step towards a broader and more in-depth involvement in online retailing.