Jun
07

Wal-Mart Launches Online Classified Service

Lists 30 million items

Wal-Mart has partnered with classified Web site Oodle.com to launch free classified ads on Walmart.com. The service is currently in beta.

Wal-Mart is the first major retailer in the U.S. to sell products other than its own online and its new classified service has around 30 million items listed. The service is free for both the seller and buyer and is accessible through Walmart.com. Wal-Mart said the online classifieds,”further connects our community of 130 million customers who shop the Wal-Mart brand each week.”

A spokesman for the company would not comment on financial details of the partnership with Oodle or how long the classified site would be in beta. Oodle was launched three years ago by former eBay and Excite executives in the San Francisco area.

“This is good for Wal-Mart because it provides a different experience for consumers, and it benefits Oodle because it extends the reach of our network,” Oodle Chief Executive Craig Donato told the Wall Street Journal.

Wal-Mart’s classified service will be in direct competition with eBay’s classified offering Kijiji and Craigslist.

Walmart.com Classifieds has a reach of more than five million customers each month through a network of sites, including newspapers, portals and online communities.