Dutch consumers are increasingly searching for free items on Marktplaats.nl, the country’s leading classifieds website. Consumers typed the key word ‘free’ or a key phrase that included ‘free’ on the website almost 70 million times during the first eight months of the year, according to a news release from Adevinta-owned Marktplaats. This represented an 11% increase from around 63 million searches during the corresponding period a year earlier. The company attributed this growth to mounting inflationary pressure in the Netherlands.
The marketplace introduced a donation section last year. This enables consumers to look for free goods in their neighborhood and donors to post ads for free. The section currently lists more than 62,000 items. “[There is] enormous demand for free items on Marktplaats,” said Maaike Veeling, head of communications at Adevinta Benelux (LinkedIn profile).
General goods marketplaces TweeDeHands.net and Koopplein.nl are the main competitors to Marktplaats.nl, which was founded in 1999.