Mercari an ideal platform to sell new or used items.
Mercari is known as one of the biggest free market applications in Japan. It is known as a symbol of success of Japan. The app has been downloaded 71 million times with 10.5 million active users and stands at a high rating of 4.5 stars. This digital hand me down app stands by 3 core strengths, easy, instant and safe. Mercari has proved that there is a market for thrifting.
Mercari is a platform which allows people to buy and sell new or ‘pre-loved’ goods online within 2 minutes. Both versions of the Mercari app were released in July 2013 and shortly after the release, the number of listings per day grew 10,000 in 2013 and to 100,000 in 2015. Currently, their services are only available in Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. In a interview with Shintaro Yamada CEO of Mercari Japan by Ignition, Yamada highlighted that, “We have been determined to deliver a worldwide service from the moment we conceived Mercari”.
How Does Mercari Work?
Mercari works on any smartphone or tablet, it simplifies trade on the net and it only involves three steps; sell it, ship it and get paid. Sellers take photos, add descriptions, ship items and a 10% fee is charged when the sale is complete. Focus primarily on buying and selling within the app itself, Mercari does not encourage face-to-face meet ups but everything is done hassle free through shipping. Sellers are also given the freedom to choose if they want to pay for their shipping costs.
A wide range of products are sold in Mercari, making it easier for non professionals sellers to upload anything they would like to sell. Clothes, electronics, jewelry, toys and more. In Japan, the application deals widely with everyday commodities from toilet paper to used cars. They have thousands of sellers and buyers with heavily discounted prices and also allows users to communicate through the comments section, so they are able to negotiate further.
Each of the items uploaded on Mercari has basic information such as the condition, size, brand, category, tag and description. Mercari also guarantees buyer protection and provides reimbursements. The freedom to provide feedbacks on Mercari through reviews and ratings on the sellers profile is one of the prime reasons of showing trustworthy transaction experiences between buyer and seller.
CEO of Mercari USA has been quoted saying in his ReadItQuik interview, “Rather than using an app where you can only shop for and sell in one category, consumers want one app to buy and sell it all. That’s why Mercari is poised to grow.
Mercari: The Selling App 4+
Sell it. Ship it. Get paid.
Mercari, Inc.
#21 in Shopping
Visit their website:
Mercari or download the app from App Store or Play Store (only available in the Japan, United States and United Kingdom).