Meta is giving Facebook a "glow up" with a bunch of new features for its Marketplace, focusing on social shopping and some AI smarts.
With Collections, you can now group Marketplace listings together and invite friends to see what you have found. You can make these collections public or private, and can then share them through Feed, Messenger, or WhatsApp.
Meta is also testing collaborative buying. This lets you pull a friend into your chat with a seller, so you can coordinate on things like pickup or just get a second opinion on the price without a ton of back-and-forth messaging.
Meta"s also bringing reactions and comments to listings. This adds a social layer, letting you and other users judge the quality of a listing before you even think about buying. Your interactions, like liking an item, will also feed the algorithm.
There"s also an "improved" checkout experience for shipped items. When you go to buy something, you will now see the total price with all the details, like shipping and tax, calculated upfront. The system also sends notifications about order status changes.
Moving on to AI, Meta is integrating Meta AI to help you figure out what to ask a seller. When you start a chat, a "Suggested questions to ask" button will appear. If you tap it, the AI uses the listing"s details and your conversation to cook up some questions you might not have thought to ask.
Another AI feature is being tested for cars, a popular search category. The AI can pull together all the usual, like engine options, safety ratings, transmission type, seating, cargo capacity, and even reviews and price insights.
Since vintage fashion is a huge category on Marketplace, second only to home decor, Meta has also started pulling in more listings from eBay and Poshmark. These partner listings are marked with a special icon and show up right in your normal Marketplace feed.
Meta"s latest announcement comes weeks after the social media giant brought its "Jobs" feature back from the dead. The service is aimed at helping young adults find local, entry-level positions, is now accessible in a few places on the platform, including Facebook Groups, Pages, and yes, the Marketplace.