Posted by Singapore, 22 September 2023 – Carousell Group, the leading multi-category platform for secondhand in Greater Southeast Asia, celebrates the onset of its second decade with a homecoming to LaunchPad @ one-north, the site of its inaugural office. The Group announced today the official opening of its new regional headquarters, Carousell Campus, dedicated to advancing recommerce capabilities as part of its goal to make buying and selling secondhand items more trusted and convenient.
During the launch event of Carousell Campus today, Carousell Group CEO and Co-founder, Mr Quek Siu Rui expressed his enthusiasm for the journey ahead, sharing, “This space marks a coming-of-age for Carousell as a Group. Recommerce means bringing the best things that we know and like from e-commerce and availing it for secondhand products. We have been building up our recommerce business in recent years, and have grown to be the leading recommerce Group in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, with tens of millions of monthly active users and 80 million new listings annually. As we take the lead in advocating for recommerce and a circular economy in the region and beyond, we believe in contributing back to the local startup community and cementing Singapore as the region’s prominent startup hub.”
Driving the future of secondhand by advancing recommerce with trust and convenience capabilities
Carousell Campus also houses the Group’s first Capabilities Centre, which brings the Group’s brands and subsidiaries into one single location to streamline operations, integrate capabilities for authentication and inspection, as well as allow for more efficient collaboration. (Please refer to Annex A) The Group has been focused on building stronger recommerce foundations and setting new standards in trust and convenience for secondhand transactions in the region. For instance, Carousell Group launched the ‘Certified’ programme this year that uses shared expertise and technology from the various entities to authenticate and inspect secondhand items in the programme sold by Carousell Official Stores. Mobile phones are inspected using our proprietary AI-first diagnostic technology to remove human error in assessment. Luxury bags are authenticated by a team led by our Lead Authenticator, who was previously from fashion luxury houses, such as Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Chanel. Vehicle inspections are carried out by veteran automotive inspection and repair companies. (Please refer to Annex B for the full list of recommerce programmes across Carousell Group.)
To make peer-to-peer marketplace transactions even safer, the Group has also rolled out enhancements to the secure on-platform payment features in its Singapore and Vietnam marketplaces, with plans to continue in more markets starting with Malaysia by end of September. For instance, when Carousell users make transactions using the ‘Buy’ button, they are able to pay securely via a one-click checkout on the platform, and also enjoy additional Buyer Protection policies and integrated door-to-door (D2D) delivery options. This is on top of continuous platform enhancements across a multi-layered strategy to increase trust and safety across the Group’s platforms. To increase convenience for everyday Singaporeans selling items they have decluttered, Carousell Singapore will be the first C2C marketplace in Singapore to offer a paperless D2D shipping option to casual sellers. By the end of September, users will only need to write down their tracking number on the parcel, have access to competitive paperless D2D shipping rates, and also skip the hassle of printing out the shipping label for the courier.
“Centralising our Singapore-based entities at Carousell Campus has allowed us to strengthen our operations excellence. Our strategic focus on key growth product categories has streamlined our efforts to offer more compelling user value propositions and facilitate more collaboration opportunities to innovate on ways to increase circular economy adoption. This has allowed us to roll out a variety of recommerce programmes and features across multiple platforms and markets this year, providing an e-commerce-like experience. We will continue to invest in growth and technology across our platforms to make buying and selling secondhand items as trusted and convenient as buying brand new items,” said Mr Quek.
Nurturing the talent behind the Group’s recommerce success
Carousell Campus strengthens the Group’s commitment towards innovation and building a diverse, skilled team by serving as a central nexus for its eight regional offices to converge for strategic planning. A key component of developing the talent into a world-class team is focusing on regional collaborative sharing of best practices and capabilities as a Group. CEOs and senior executives from the various Group entities take on additional roles to mentor cross-entity business teams and provide strategic direction, or guide the development of operations capabilities collaboratively with the different entities.
Tech leaders across the Group also work together on Group-wide tech initiatives and knowledge sharing to better utilise existing technologies and drive innovation. This has allowed the Group to adopt generative AI technologies in a quicker manner to power platform features at scale. For instance, Carousell has recently started using a Large Language Model (LLM) to extract product details for search relevancy, so buyers can better find what they want and thereby increasing listing views and chats for sellers.
Contributing towards the next generation of tech startups
More than just a return to Carousell’s roots at BLOCK71, the move to set up Carousell Campus at LaunchPad was a deliberate choice to signal the Group’s commitment to being an integral part of this ecosystem in paving the way for the next generation of tech trailblazers. Recognising the challenges young startups face, Carousell Group offers a helping hand by offering access to world-class speakers from tech giants, facilitating connections and networking opportunities with startup founders, and providing a space to organise their own customer discovery events to find the right product-market fit. Hence, Carousell Campus was intentionally designed to host events to facilitate such support, with space to house over 100 pax. (Please refer to Annex C for more pictures of Carousell Group’s new headquarters.)
Since the return, the Group has organised a plethora of events, insightful sessions, and learning experiences at no cost, with plans in the pipeline for more collaborative events involving local startups and small businesses. Start-ups interested in using Carousell Campus’ venue space can reach out to Carousell Group at campus@carousell.com to discuss collaboration opportunities.
Annex A: About Carousell Group’s Family of Brands
About Carousell Group
Carousell Group is the leading multi-category platform for secondhand in Greater Southeast Asia on a mission to inspire the world to start selling, and to make secondhand the first choice. Founded in August 2012 in Singapore, the Group has a leading presence in seven markets under the brands Carousell, Chợ Tốt, Laku6, Mudah.my, OneShift, and Refash, serving tens of millions of monthly active users. Carousell is backed by leading investors including Telenor Group, Rakuten Ventures, Naver, STIC Investments, 500 Global and Peak XV Partners (formerly known as Sequoia Capital India). Visit here for more information.
Carousell
Carousell is a multi-category classifieds and recommerce marketplace that makes selling as easy as taking a photo, buying as simple as chatting. Carousell is available in Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan. The Carousell marketplace has a diverse range of products across a variety of categories, including cars, lifestyle, gadgets and fashion accessories. Download the app for iOS or Android, and visit www.carousell.com for more information.
Chợ Tốt
Established in 2012, Chotot.com is the leading online classified website in Vietnam with more than 55 million monthly visitors. With the motto “Muốn Là Có” (“A Way to Your Wants”), Chotot.com provides an effective online marketplace for Vietnamese to buy and sell various types of products easily. Visit https://www.chotot.com for more information.
Laku6
Laku6 is the leading AI-first end-to-end electronics recommerce platform in Indonesia where our technology has helped over 500,000 users sell their gadgets directly for cash or via trade-in with leading e-commerce partners and in over 1,000 offline retail shops. Visit www.laku6.com for more information.
Mudah.my
Mudah.my Sdn. Bhd is Malaysia’s largest digital platform for selling and finding almost anything – Semua Pun Mudah! Mudah.my’s mission is to democratise commerce by empowering everyone, especially individuals and budding entrepreneurs, with a platform of equal opportunity. Visit www.mudah.my for more information.
One Shift
Founded in December 2005 and based in Singapore, OneShift is a trusted online automotive platform for people to research, discover new and used cars and motorcycles in Singapore. OneShift by Carousell helps owners sell their cars or motorcycles on their behalf for the highest price in Singapore to direct buyers with the help of the Carousell marketplace and to our wide network of verified dealerships. OneShift by Carousell also operates as a concierge to help sellers and buyers with all their automotive needs. Visit www.oneshift.com for more information.
REFASH
REFASH has transformed what it means to buy and sell secondhand fashion. With a mission to ‘inspire a new generation of consumers to think secondhand first’, REFASH has processed over 7 million pieces of clothing that would have otherwise ended up in landfills. REFASH has expanded to encompass over 20 stores in Singapore, Malaysia, and the surrounding markets, offering a seamless thrifting experience for everyone. Start your thrifting experience at REFASH today! Visit refash.sg for more information.
Annex B: Overview of Carousell Group’s Recommerce Features and Programmes
1/ Certified programme
The Certified programme allows users to buy secondhand items with the peace of mind that every item has been thoroughly checked for quality and authenticity by authorised Partners.
- Carousell
Launched in 2023, the Carousell Certified programme is available in categories such as cars, luxury bags, mobile phones and sneakers for Singapore, and luxury bags for Hong Kong. Users can shop for Certified listings from Carousell Official Stories or Carousell Certified Partners.
- Carousell Certified Cars undergo over 100 points of inspection, and come with 12-month warranty, 2x free servicing, 12-month roadside assistance, complimentary replacement car, transparent pricing, and vehicle loan/paperwork support
- Carousell Certified Luxury bags undergo a rigorous 14-check authentication process, and come with money-back guarantee and 7-day free returns
- Carousell Certified Mobile phones and devices undergo 40 points of inspection checks, including the use of our proprietary AI diagnostics tool and physical checks, and come with free 1-month warranty, 7-day free returns, and option to purchase up to 24 months extended warranty
- Carousell Certified Sneakers go through rigorous quality control and authentication checks, including for material and structure, and come with money-back guarantee and 24-hour free returns
- Cho Tot, leading recommerce marketplace in Vietnam that is part of Carousell Group
- Launched in Q2 2023, Chợ Tốt Xe’s Inspection and Odometer Verification Car programme (Xe 5 Tốt and Chuẩn ODO) allows buyers to have confidence in purchasing used cars. Each car undergoes a thorough 207-point quality check and odometer verification by expert inspectors.
- Launched in Q1 2023, the Cho Tot Official Store for Certified Mobiles allows buyers to purchase mobile phones that have undergone a comprehensive quality check process, ensuring 100% genuine and in good working condition devices. Customers can also enjoy a free 3-month warranty, 7-day free returns, and free shipping.
- Mudah.my, leading recommerce marketplace in Malaysia that is part of Carousell Group
- Launched in 2022, the Mudah Certified programme allows buyers to shop from a trusted inventory of cars with end-to-end support, free 1-year warranty and pay a transparent all-inclusive (except for insurance) fee. Each vehicle goes through a meticulous 180-point inspection before being listed for sale.
2/ Secure on-platform payments system
The uniqueness of C2C secondhand marketplaces is the ability for users to have the flexibility to arrange for their preferred deal method with each other. Yet, it’s pertinent to also offer safer transaction options to guard against potential scams on top of the platforms’ existing trust and safety measures.
- Carousell
Carousell Singapore rolled out enhancements to its on-platform payment system in August 2023 with the ‘Buy’ button, where users can securely transact through one-click checkout with escrow protection, arrange for integrated door-to-door delivery, as well as enjoy additional Buyer Protection policies, such as enhanced customer support to resolve disputes. The ‘Buy’ button will be rolled out in Carousell Malaysia by the end of September, with plans to roll out to other markets progressively.
- Cho Tot, leading recommerce marketplace in Vietnam that is part of Carousell Group
Launched in 2022, Cho Tot users can enjoy Protected Payment (Thanh Toán Đảm Bảo) and delivery services when they transact using the ‘Buy Now’ button. The on-platform payment system will hold the money in escrow until both buyer and seller confirm the transaction. If they do not receive items or if the items do not match the description, buyers will be refunded in full.
- Mudah.my, leading recommerce marketplace in Malaysia that is part of Carousell Group
Mudah.my will also be launching a similar feature SafeDeal by the end of September in Malaysia as well. The feature allows for instant item reservation, protected payment methods encompassing FPX and credit/debit cards, and 100% money-back guarantee for buyers if the item is not as per listed. Sellers can establish credibility with SafeDeal-enabled listings, engaging only with committed buyers who ensure full payment.
Annex B: Overview of Carousell Group’s Recommerce Features and Programmes
3/ Sell to Platform
To encourage time-starved sellers to participate in the circular economy, the Sell to Platform programme was launched in selected popular categories. Users can sell directly to the platform for cash, removing the hassle of managing their own deals.
- Carousell
Launched in 2022, Sell to Carousell is available in four categories:
- Fashion, powered by REFASH, where users can drop off a bag of clothes at REFASH outlets or arrange a courier pick-up. They will receive cash once the clothes have been processed.
- Cars, powered by OneShift, where users can get the best quotes from our 500+ trusted dealer network, get a no-obligation car inspection, and get instant payment on the agreed price
- Luxury bags, where users can sell or consign their bags after they have been checked for authentication and quality.
- Mobile, where users can fill a form to get an estimated offer on their device before deciding to proceed with either doorstep pick-up or in-store appointment. Users will get paid on the spot once they have accepted the final offer.
- Cho Tot, leading recommerce marketplace in Vietnam that is part of Carousell Group
Launched in 2023, Sell-to-Cho Tot is available in the Mobile Phone category, allowing users to sell with three simple steps: i) Checking estimated price quote; ii) Registering for a purchase appointment; and iii) Receiving instant cash after inspection.
- Mudah.my, leading recommercemarketplace in Malaysia that is part of Carousell Group
Launched in 2023, Sell to Mudah is available in the Auto category, allowing users to sell their cars with the convenience of door-to-door service and handling of all paperwork. Sellers will receive a quote on the spot and can get paid within three hours.
- Laku6, leading electronics recommerce marketplace in Indonesia that is part of Carousell Group
Launched in 2016, Maujual allows users to sell phones to Laku6 for instant cash by filling in a short form on phone condition and making an appointment for phone inspection. The expertise and capabilities from this programme powers the Sell to Platform programme for Carousell Mobile and Cho Tot mobiles.