The spread of COVID-19 has caused rapid shifts in the popularity of online marketplaces, particularly ones on social media. Facebook marketplaces have been used by millions of people across the world to sell their original products and/or second-hand items.
However, following the spread of the Coronavirus, many buyers have been reluctant to purchase goods from sellers in-person. This could be due to people’s reluctance to expose themselves to the virus for the sake of purchasing a single item, or due to the higher unemployment rate reducing spending power during the pandemic.
How Facebook marketplace sellers are coping during COVID-19
Many Facebook marketplace sellers initially responded to the COVID-19 crisis by changing up their sales methods to include social distancing and virus safety measures.
These included measures such as:
● Offering no-contact item delivery/pick-up options in which buyers could obtain their purchase without meeting the seller face-to-face.
● Using cashless payment methods such as online transfers to avoid physical contact between buyers and sellers.
However, many sellers have still seen a noticeable drop in sales activity following the outbreak of COVID-19. Sellers who relied on these social media marketplaces to make a living may have to find alternate buyers for their products.
Selling products to local shops
One option for social marketplace sellers who are struggling during the pandemic is to sell their products to local boutique retailers. These retailers sometimes require convincing to stock your products, so it is important for sellers to approach these store owners in-person along with samples of their products.
Most Facebook marketplace sellers have experience pitching their products to others, so they shouldn’t have too much difficulty getting local boutique retailers to stock them. If these sellers are successful at having retailers to stock their product, they may have success with other local retailers in the future as well.