OLX is an online Classifieds site owned by Naspers, the South African Media Giant. It is currently available in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. (It replaced Dealfish in Sub Saharan Africa)
In a recent press release, OLX announced that it is opening new public kiosks in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is an interesting development considering the company is an online entity. However, it intends to make the exchange of goods easier considering the issue of trust and security between customers.
Guess if it is a success in Brazil, this initiative might be introduced in Africa…
Here is the Press release below…
OLX, the most popular online classifieds site in fast-growing markets around the world, today announced the opening of new kiosks in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where buyers and sellers can meet to securely and publicly exchange goods. OLX has 123 million unique monthly visitors in 107 countries worldwide, including Brazil.
OLX allows users to easily buy and sell used goods and services such as electronics, furniture, household items, cars and bikes through its localized, consumer-to-consumer online marketplace. The new kiosks, situated around the city in locations like the bustling Carioca subway station, are part of OLX’s innovative efforts to help users in Brazil comfortably transfer goods between one another.
“As the online classifieds marketplace continues to grow, we want to make sure our users realize that there are multiple simple, secure ways to complete their transactions,” said Alec Oxenford, co-founder and CEO of OLX. “These kiosks serve as a great place to bring together our vast network of buyers and sellers in Brazil, and educate the public about the benefits of the used goods economy.”
The OLX kiosks will serve as convenient public venues for consumers to exchange items in Brazil, where the concept of buying and selling used goods is unfamiliar to many. Rather than arranging to meet at an arbitrary location, users have the option to gather and conduct their transactions at the designated kiosks, which are located in popular, high-traffic areas. In addition to providing a central meeting place, the kiosks also offer tips for users buying and selling used goods on OLX.
Until recently, there was little demand for a used good marketplace in Brazil. In the last few years, however, the country has seen a dramatic increase in the use of classifieds. According to comScore, usage has risen 450 percent in the last year alone.
OLX has quickly become the dominant online classifieds player in emerging markets around the world, including Brazil, where it enjoys a majority of market share, widespread recognition, and has more than 4.9 million Facebook fans. OLX’s presence in Brazil continues to expand; the company has seen a 200 percent increase there in new daily listings year on year, more than any other classifieds service in Brazil.
