Most downloaded C2C shopping apps worldwide 2023
In 2023, the leading consumer-to-consumer (C2C) app worldwide was Mercado Libre, with over 90 million downloads on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The Lithuanian online marketplace for second-hand items, Vinted, ranked second with approximately 33 million app downloads. EBay followed with around 25 million app downloads.
Mercado Libre's growing success
Mercado Libre is an Argentine-born online auction marketplace, which operates in 18 countries in South and Central America. The marketplace has enjoyed great success in recent years, with its revenue growing three-fold since 2020, reaching over 14 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. This resulted in the company being named one of the fastest-growing e-commerce companies by revenue worldwide in 2023. That same year, the Mercado Libre website saw a record number of active users, reaching roughly 218 million users. Despite the marketplace's dominance in Latin America, it continues to contend for market share against formidable rivals, such as the e-commerce giant Amazon.
Shoppers mainly want to score a bargain
Although second-hand shopping is significantly more environmentally friendly than purchasing new merchandise, lower prices still serve as the primary motivator for consumers towards C2C shopping. According to a recent consumer survey in France, nearly 70 percent of shoppers opt to buy pre-loved clothing due to its lower prices, while about 50 percent do so due to its sustainability. A similar study conducted in the United States found that around 80 percent of consumers buy and sell pre-owned items online to get a good deal, and roughly 60 percent engage in C2C commerce to avoid higher prices arisen from inflation.