CALGARY -- Garage sale seekers, bargain hunters, and shoppers keen to buy locally are flooding online market sites during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Buyers and sellers have noticed a swell of interest on local Facebook Marketplace pages and Kijiji listings, a trend that followed an initial dip in transactions in 2020.
"At the beginning of the pandemic, we started running PSAs across our platform asking users to consider whether a transaction was necessary right now," said Kijiji officials in a statement. "As things have started to open up again, we've seen a surge of activity on Kijiji with increases in new listings and replies."
According to Kijiji, there are nearly 10,000 listings at present from businesses in Alberta in the buy and sell category.
Caroline Mongrain says she has used Facebook Marketplace for years but noticed a spike in interest on the platform this year.
"2020 has been extremely difficult for people (with) job losses," said Mongrain who has recently sold clothing, gardening tools and baby items through the site. "Everyone is watching their money now."
"Definitely this year there has been a lot more people. I also donate some free stuff and people are more willing to come pick that up."
Donation bins and household pick-up of donated items was a service some non-profit companies stopped providing during the pandemic.
Diabetes Canada said it plans to resume services in Calgary and Edmonton July 12, and in Lethbridge on June 28.
Cerebral Palsy Alberta’s donation bins and home pick-up services have remained fully operational during the pandemic despite no revenue from the venture coming in due the temporary closure of their partner, Value Village.
"The demand was very high for people cleaning out their homes and wanted a place to drop off the product," said Joanne Dorn, acting executive director of Cerebral Palsy Alberta.
Charan Virk stands next to a motorcycle he purchased through a Kijiji-ad
Charan Virk —whose friends refer to as 'the Kijiji guy' because he has bought and sold many items through that platform over the years — has noticed increased traffic and changes in appetites while public health measures have been in place.
"Before it was hard to get fitness equipment sold," Virk said, adding those items would normally only sell at deep discounts. "Now you can sell it for pretty much the same price you bought it for, just with the gyms being closed."
"That might change now with things opening up again," added Virk, referring to the reopening of fitness centres in Alberta as part of the second phase of the province's economic relaunch.
Virk said there are also opportunities to find a deal since he and many other people are also offering things for free, such as household items and tires.
Mongrain said the chance for a bargain, avoiding potential supply chain interruptions and no-contact transactions could see the popularity of online resales continue.
'I don’t think it’s going to go away. I think it’s going to stay and this is the new norm."
