Facebook launches eBay rival in Australia

Facebook has launched a new ecommerce feature in Australia dubbed Marketplace in a direct play against the likes of eBay and Gumtree.

Facebook Martketplace

The social network is offering its users a place to buy and sell items from within its mobile application. The Marketplace feature will debut in Australia, the US, UK and New Zealand today.

The retail feature can be accessed through a shop icon in the Facebook app. Sale items are organised by location on the Marketplace home page. The tool also offers the ability to search by category, price, and item type.

The social media giant is hoping to tap into the 450 million people who visit buy and sell groups on its platform each month.

Items for sale are listed with the seller's name, profile photo and general location, alongside a product description. Contact is facilitated through direct messages. 

Facebook does not provide payment or delivery services for items within the Marketplace.

The company said it would make the feature available on the desktop version of its platform in coming months.

Ebay currently boasts around 164 million active users globally, while Gumtree claims around 7 million unique browsers visit its site each month.