Blocket - an online second-hand market, the largest retail market in Sweden
Blocket is a Swedish online second-hand market similar to Amazon or eBay. It is a private company, which was started in 1996. It employs 57 people. It is the largest national retail market with 5 million people visiting its webpage weekly. Eight of 10 Swedes have bought or sold something on Blocket, 99% have heard about Blocket. Individuals and businesses advertise used and new products via blocket.se, which creates revenue by charging a fee for each advertisement. The market is mainly peer-to-peer but aims to increase business-to-consumer sales of new products. In 2013 the sales of second-hand goods on Blocket contributed to the savings of 1.6 million tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions .
Blocket was started in 1996 and was primarily a regional goods market in Skåne. The service was free to use. In the end of 1997 Blocket was open for sell ads across Sweden. After a few years it expanded around the country. In 2001 the fees for placing ads were introduced. The concept of Blocket was exported to more than 40 other countries. In 2011 Blocket started to work with sustainability issues. Blocket also collaborates with an initiative Retoy, which teaches kids how to reuse and exchange toys (http://retoy.se/en/#). Blocket is mainly a peer-to-peer market but aims to increase business-to-consumer sales of new products.
Link to H2020 SI Priorities
ICT systems improving resource efficiency
Resource efficient sustainable lifestyles
Raw materials conscious sustainable lifestyle
Climate action by sustainable lifestyle
SI Type
Social (incl. behavioural) - Blocket is an example of a circular economy thinking, which encourages people to prolong the lifespan of products and diverts them from throwaway culture and lifestyles.
Organisational / Business model - The business model of Blocket is innovative as it connects individual buyers and sellers of goods all over Sweden in a more efficient way with the use of ICT and online ads systems. This is a market that is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week for all its users.
SI Objectives
To become a positive force in the society and simplify it for people to make smart, economically profitable and sustainable decisions
To improve the consumption patterns by encouraging people to make a better choice
To increase the knowledge and engagement in sustainability issues among employees, suppliers, collaborative partners and customers of Blocket
To provide good working conditions, working environment, environmentally smart offices and server rooms
To increase awareness of kids about environment and sustainabilty via collaboration with the Retoy initiative (http://retoy.se/en/#)
SI Origin
Blocket was started in 1996 in a village of Fjälkinge, Skåne (Scania) County by Henrik Nordström, and was primarily a regional goods market in Skåne. After a few years Blocket expanded and offered buy and sell ads across Sweden. Today Blocket is a market place, where one can find nearly anything one might need from dishes for a few cents to a house for hundred thousands of euros or a new job.
SI Factors of success
Technological - Easy to use for everyone with Internet connection in any part of Sweden, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
Economic - The total value of goods advertised on Blocket in 2013 corresponded to 11% of Swedish GDP. Online trade reduces transaction costs for the consumer.
Environmental - The idea of Blocket is to hinder the production of new goods and in this way reduce water and resource consumption, chemical load and GHG emissions associated with production processes. In 2013 the sales of second-hand goods on Blocket contributed to savings of 1.6 million tonnes of GHG, an equivalent of as if all traffic in Stockholm stayed still for 1.5 years.
Social - According to Blocket, its users who are satisfied with the service are the core of the Blockets success.
Ethical - Young Swedes feel intrigued by the history and extra value of older products. This is one of the reasons for the recent increase in the vintage and second-hand market in Sweden.
Sources
Primary - Blocket website can be used for background information, sustainability reports, press releases and in-house studies: http://www.blocket.se/omblocket.htm
Secondary - A report by Mia Pantzar, 2013. The Swedish Second-hand Market - A study of online marketplace Blocket. A report by Blocket, 2013. Begagnathandelns klimatnytta [Climate Benefits from Second-Hand Trade]. URL: http://www.ivl.se/download/18.3d71f8313d6a4ffc7931b6/1368175862369/130510_Bag.handel_klimatnytta_rapport.pdf
Tertiary - Key economic figures about Blocket company are available at: http://www.allabolag.se/5566103429/Blocket_AB
