Carousell takes a jab at mega sales shopping fest

Southeast Asian classified marketplace Carousell has launched a sustainability campaign titled “Choose Secondhand” to encourage consumers to reduce waste by buying and selling secondhand items. The campaign features video ads which show tonnes of clothing along with the texts "1.1 Sale", "2.2 Sale", "3.3 Sale" and so on, followed by a short clip of people buying secondhand items with the caption "Be part of the solution". Done in collaboration with Bread Butter Bacon, the ads are being run the digital ads on Facebook and TikTok, as well as through DOOH ads at various bus stops with high foot traffic areas around Singapore and near shopping districts. 

In response to MARKTEING-INTERACTIVE, Carousell's spokesperson said that it does not have the intention of taking a jab at eCommerce platforms holding these mega sales, but rather, its campaign highlights the current state of the environment and the progression of eCommerce as a whole. "The campaign simply aims to highlight the escalating cycle of consumption and raise top of mind awareness that opting for secondhand, both buying and selling, allows everyone to be a part of the solution," a spokesperson said. 

Carousell has declined to disclose the monetary value of the campaign. 

The campaign comes following its 2021 Recommerce Index, which found that 72% of Carousell Group users have made secondhand purchases before, of which three in 10 buy secondhand items whenever possible. Coupled with findings from the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment which showed that approximately 200,000 tonnes of waste is added to Singapore's landfill every year, Carousell wanted to remind consumers that they can be part of that solution when they choose to sell and buy secondhand items. Additionally, Carousell told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that it plans to roll out "various sustainability-related initiatives of different scales" in its markets, though details of these initiatives have yet to be confirmed.

This is not Carousell's first jab at mega sales.  Last year saw Carousell not only boycott the 11.11 sales festivals, but add its own twist to the festive shopping season as well. The marketplace launched localised festivals in Singapore and Hong Kong post 11.11 titled "Remorse Fest". Working with creative agency 72andSunny, the campaign encouraged people to sell the purchases they regret on the Carousell app. The festival ran until 7 December 2021 and encouraged binge shoppers to "turn remorse into returns in a sustainable way". 

Separately, Carousell Group was reportedly in talks to acquire Singapore-based property marketplace operator 99 Group in February. According to The Business Times (BT), the acquisition would likely give a boost to Carousell's monetisation strategy as it doubles down on high-value transactions and shapes up for the public market. However, negotiations were still ongoing at the time and might not result in a deal, a source told BT. Carousell declined to comment on the plans, which it claimed were "speculations or rumours". "We are privileged to have the support of investors that support our long-term vision. As such we are laser-focused on our mission of inspiring the world to start selling, and working on products and services to make secondhand the first choice. We constantly consider all options and opportunities to accelerate our goal of building a meaningful and enduring marketplace," Carousell's spokesperson told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE then.

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