Want to sell some stuff online? Going hyperlocal is the way
Portals that facilitate area-specific buying and selling are fast catching up
When it comes to putting away your used household items, chances are that you do not exactly know what to do. T
ake, for example, BCom student Richa Saxena, who was looking to dispose of a set of six fiction novels, but not without a decent price tag. She was done with the books long ago. And these were only gathering dust in her showcase. In all, she had spent nearly Rs.2,000, and all she was looking at was a fair deal. If you ask her, her preference was a book lover. Selling them to the local raddiwala would have fetched her a pittance. And there was a high probability that the books would end up in the hands of someone who might never know their utility.That's when a friend suggested her about an online portal, which deals in listings for selling used items within nearby localities. Saxena jumped at the opportunity.
This is how the portal works. It asks the seller to quote an amount for the used goods which he or she deems apt while not charging any amount from the seller. "I thus put a listing on this portal conveying the names and editions of the novel, the year of publication, the condition they were in, as also the buying price, and the price I was looking at selling them ( Rs 1,000-1,500 for six)," says Saxena, adding that most importantly, alongside her contact, she mentioned her area (Rajajinagar 3rd Block, Bangalore) hoping that people in the neighbourhood would show some interest.
"That was the best thing about this portal. It allows area-specific listings so that people in nearby areas can come and check out the goods and negotiate the buying price themselves," says Saxena, who within two days of making the listing managed to sell all the six books at
Rs. 1,150.
Welcome to the world of hyperlocalisation, which facilitates area-specific buying and selling by making listings on online portals and is fast catching up.
Pranay Chulet, CEO, Quikr, an online classified portal, said hyperlocalisation enables renting, buying and selling at a level as local as possible. "It is generally for used items, including vehicles, electronic items, furniture, home appliances as well as for renting," says Saurabh Pandey, vice-president and business head, online classifieds, Tradusads.
The concept comes with a couple of advantages for both the buyer and the seller.
First, there are no charges, unlike print listings, says Amarjit Batra, country manager, OLX India, another online listings portal. "Unlike print, you can put pictures of the goods to receive quicker responses."
Second, since it is area specific, the prospective buyer can visit the seller, see the product for himself, negotiate the price and then decide, says Pandey. "If someone is looking for used products, he will not be interested in driving two to three hours to the other part of the city. Thus, such area-focussed listings help," reasons Pandey.
Third, responses start streaming in within 24-36 hours of putting out the listings. The need for buying and selling used goods is highly prevalent at every home, says Batra. "People often feel the need to sell 10-15 used products in their house. It is mainly students as well as those with limited income levels who look for used items that are in a decent condition," explains Batra.
"It is mainly people in the 18-35-year category who transact through such portals while 2-3% are people over 50 years of age," adds Pandey.Experts say such transactions are growing. "Every month, we see about 1.8 crore people visiting our site," says Chulet. Pandey too reels off some statistics, saying since Tradusads started in April, it has seen 200,000 listings with 2 million people visiting the site every month.
(Priyanka Golikeri DNA 31OCT11)
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