Media Release
FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE Launches Officially In New Zealand
Saturday 8 October for IMMEDIATE RELEASE
""TradeMe is Dead"" said Wellington based, self titled "Furniture Hustler" Claire Rowena
"Facebook Marketplace is going to change the game".
The Brand New Facebook Marketplace is a free Classified Listing Feature for buying and selling items Peer to Peer,
locally. Marketplace began officially rolling out to users in New Zealand on iOS and Android on October 1st, although
New Zealand Facebook Android App Beta Testers have had early access to the service for over 2 months.
Claire says "Facebook Marketplace services the same market that Trademe covers, but with looser regulation, no strict
rules and to date - no fees. Early adoptors like myself are operating in a market with no pre established etiquette and
it is wild! Self regulation is so far been successful and as people begin to use it more, it will streamline itself out.
Anyone over 18 with a mobile phone and a Facebook account is able to list Items for Sale and to Advertise Local Services
free of charge. Shoppers find what they want and contact the seller directly - no middle man
Marketplace can be accessed only on mobile, by tapping a highly-visible shopping bag icon at the top (sometimes bottom)
of the Facebook app, alongside icons such as ”Messenger” and “Notifications.” Desktop Traders can post to the
Marketplace from within Facebook's specialised "Buy and Sell" Groups - which is another feature to have been Beta Tested
on the New Zealand Market for the past 18 months.
Claire Rowena is the founder of the Buy and Sell Facebook Group The Furniture Hustle which has been an overnight
success.
Claire Medcalf has developed affordable training and consulting packages of around 1-2 weeks, for local retail
businesses - she gives workshops to help retailers to short cut and hopefully start to revive the local retail market
which has dwindled - many outlets in the CBD forced to close their doors.