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Need a dog walker? Looking for a part-time gig? For enterprising netizens in China, Alibaba Group’s online flea market Xianyu is the place to go.
In addition to offering up a smorgasbord of second-hand goods, the platform now makes it easier for shoppers to turn their hobbies into a source of income.
This side job marketplace, launched earlier in the month, enables users to offer services across eight categories and hundreds of sub-categories, covering everything from pet massages to language tutoring.
The feature opens new avenues in China’s second-hand e-commerce market, which has become a hotspot for many budget-conscious young consumers.
Shoppers under the age of 30 account for nearly half of the sector’s 178 million monthly active users, data analysis by QuestMobile found.
“There is significant potential for skill-based transactions as a way to further inspire young users to explore and create their own opportunities on Xianyu,” said Xianyu President Ding Jian.
Xianyu, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, is China’s largest consumer-to-consumer community and marketplace for second-hand goods, according to market researcher Analysys.
The platform averaged over RMB1 billion ($138 million) in daily gross merchandise value during the 2024 Lunar New Year, in addition to more than 4 million product postings daily. Last year, more than 100 million people advertised items for sale.
Young and Enterprising
Users under the age of 30 are tapping into Xianyu’s massive reach to develop businesses and find part-time work.
While around 43% of people on the platform were born after 1995, users from this cohort fulfill more than 60% of all service orders.
Users can detail their work and upload resumes using Xianyu’s new resume feature to outline their work experience and skill set.
“Education and training, pet services and online consultation are especially popular among young people,” said Lei Jing, head of the Xianyu Ecosystem Development Center.
Prospective customers can search service postings and browse the seller’s resume before placing orders and paying as they would when buying physical products on the platform.
More Than a Shopping Site
Xianyu has grown into an online and offline community unto itself over the last decade.
The platform has become a space for netizens to discuss shared niche interests, giving hobbyists and collectors a forum to exchange ideas and collaborate.
“Xianyu can not only help users save money,” noted Ding, who pointed to how the platform can also help improve the lives of its users.
This reach extends into the real world.
Over the past year, Xianyu cut the ribbon on two brick-and-mortar shops in Hangzhou and Shanghai where people can send items and let the platform handle sorting and pricing.
The diverse blend of skills needed to succeed on Xianyu is also gaining recognition offline. Many platform sellers add to their resumes their experiences writing persuasive product descriptions, conducting price negotiations and more on the platform.
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Editor’s Note
The story has been updated to reflect that Xianyu averaged $138 million in daily sales during the 2024 Lunar New Year only
