Despite a significant decline in U.S. teen users of Facebook, the platform's Marketplace feature has emerged as a strong draw. Only 32% of teens used Facebook in 2024, down from 71% in 2014, according to a Pew Research study. Marketplace enables users to buy and sell items without listing fees, appealing to affordability and sustainability. Facebook Marketplace boasts 1.1 billion users worldwide and is projected to tap into a booming resale market, further enhanced by a partnership with eBay that could add $1.6 billion in sales by 2025.
"I only use Facebook for Marketplace," said Mirka Arevalo, a student at Buffalo University. "I go in knowing what I want, not just casually browsing."
"Marketplace is the flea market of the internet," said Charles Lindsay, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Buffalo. "There's a massive amount of consumer-to-consumer business."
"Sellers love that Marketplace has no fees," said Jasmine Enberg, VP and Principal Analyst at eMarketer. "Introducing fees could push users elsewhere."
"Younger buyers are drawn to affordability and sustainability," said Yoo-Kyoung Seock, a professor at the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Georgia. "Marketplace offers both."
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