Facebook, Google, Amazon: New challengers in classifieds

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla., Jan. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Facebook and its fast-growing Marketplace initiative poses a serious threat to the classified advertising services offered by the world's "Big Six" multinational classified companies, a new report from the AIM Group shows.

Craigslist, Schibsted, Naspers, EBay and other classified advertising companies are running into increased competition from Facebook, Google and even Amazon, which is experimenting with a consumer-to-consumer sales site called Local Finds in India that it has talked about rolling out worldwide. The competition is covered in the 2017-18 Global Classified Advertising Annual published by the AIM Group.

"Classifieds and marketplaces online are more competitive than ever," said Peter M. Zollman, founding principal of the AIM Group, which publishes Classified Intelligence Report. "Schibsted, Naspers and Axel Springer have reinvented themselves as digital marketplaces during the past few years --- but they have to keep innovating and developing new products and services to stay ahead of Facebook, Google and Amazon."

Facebook Marketplace is an aggressive challenger. Launched formally a little over a year ago, it's now in at least 25 countries and it's experimenting with social commerce payments in Thailand. It competes directly with Craigslist and Naspers's site / app OLX, along with well-funded apps like LetGo (also owned by Naspers in the U.S.) and OfferUp. Facebook Marketplace is also working with auto dealers and websites on car listings; two real estate sites for apartment listings, and EBay for a "daily deals" feature.

The 110-page report covers all of the "Big Six," including Axel Springer, Craigslist, EBay, Naspers, Schibsted and Recruit Holdings of Japan; technology trends in classified / marketplace advertising; Nextdoor, Efritin of Nigeria, LeBonCoin of France and Xianyu and Zhuan Zhuan of China; and nine startups. It also includes country-by-country analyses of the key horizontal (or general classified) marketplaces in 40 countries worldwide.

The 2017-18 Global Classified Advertising Annual is available at AIMGroup.com for $1,495 with a money-back guarantee. A free preview edition is available here: https://aimgroup.com/product/2017-global-classified-annual-report

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Note to reporters / editors: Free copies of the report are available for coverage purposes by calling 407-788-2780 or emailing info@aimgroup.com. Founding principal Peter M. Zollman of the AIM Group is available for interviews at 321-356-3182.

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About the AIM Group: The AIM Group, formally the Advanced Interactive Media Group LLC, is the world's leading consultancy in classified advertising and marketplaces. It publishes Classified Intelligence Report, a continuous advisory service that's called "the bible of the classified advertising industry." The AIM Group works with dot-coms, leading media companies, dot-coms, yellow-page publishers and technology companies. It provides strategic and tactical consulting; sales training; proprietary and published research about interactive media, and other services. Founded in 1998, it is based in Altamonte Springs, Fla. For more information call (407) 788-2780 or see AIMGroup.com .

Media Contact: Peter Zollman, AIM Group, 321-356-3182, peterz@aimgroup.com

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SOURCE AIM Group