Online classifieds are performing better than ever as consumers put unwanted goods up for sale during what is traditionally the most cash-strapped month of the year.
Various online classifieds have reported a surge in trading since the beginning of the year, a trend which reflects what is happening abroad, says OLX South Africa spokesperson Tamryn Combrink. “OLX South Africa has seen an increase in overall trading of 65% for the first two weeks of January when compared to the same period last year.”
This growth is in line with what is happening further afield. OLX Kenya and OLX Nigeria have also shown growth, with data indicated trading is up by 25% and 150% respectively year-on-year.
“This upward trend shows consumers are becoming more confident in their use of e-commerce and online platforms,” Combrink says.
‘’It is no surprise that consumers have empty wallets after the festive season and are looking for ways to make quick cash, but the spike in trading which we have witnessed since 1 January has been unlike anything we have seen before. We believe this could also be due to consumers being a little bolder in their festive season spending resulting in a tough January.
According to OLX, the most popular items being sold via online classifieds in January are consumer electronics such as mobile phones, laptops and tablets. ‘’This is primarily due to such goods being in high demand and able to reach good prices. Prams also seem to be on the list of top sellers at the moment,” she says.
It appears that the growth in mobile usage – or the social pressure to be seen with the most up-to-date technology – has been a key driving factor in the increase in such trading, as OLX saw a 550% growth in numbers of mobile listings during 2014 when compared to 2013.
“Classifieds are not what they used to be – gone are the days of newspaper classifieds limiting reach only to those living in the area where the publication is sold. The reach of online classifieds is enormous and thus makes the chance of selling your item far greater,” Combrink says.
“Today’s consumers are savvier about doing deals online because they have become more aware of suspicious and fraudulent behaviour, helped by education on our web site as well as social media on what danger signs to be aware of.”
