You can get just about anything on Amazon. That’s why so many people rely on it as their primary online marketplace. Have you considered turning to Amazon to find a local plumber, hairstylist or pest control company? You may soon be able to.
Later this year, Amazon is expected to roll out their new local services marketplace. The roll out is expected to begin in a single market. The single market roll out will allow Amazon to test the service and work out details with demand and logistics before rolling out the local marketplace nationwide. Amazon has taken this approach before with their Amazon Fresh services. Amazon Fresh was launched in Seattle and tested for several years before being offered in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The launch of Amazon’s local services marketplace will put them in direct competition with services like Yelp and Angie’s List. The local services marketplace is a large one. Experts estimate that the home repair and improvement market represents approximately $250 billion in sales each year. The local service market place as a whole represents a $400 billion market.
Amazon’s local deals services, Amazon Local, is not a part of the new local services marketplace launch. The local services marketplace has been on the Amazon growth agenda for several years. The prolific use of smartphones makes this the ideal time for Amazon to venture into this market.