Overview

Hamrobazar has been Nepal’s leading C2C classifieds site for years. Rather than owning inventory or facilitating end‑to‑end logistics, it provides discovery and lead‑generation. This case contrasts classifieds with fully managed marketplaces and clarifies revenue and cost structures across models.

Model Characteristics

  • Listings and discovery: Seller posts → buyer messages → offline transaction.
  • Monetization: Featured listings, ad placements; optional paid boosts.
  • Costs: Lower operational overhead vs. managed marketplaces (no fulfillment or payments).
  • Trust: Social proof via tenure/volume and category moderation vs. escrow/guarantees.

Strategic Implications

  • Network effects: Liquidity by category (phones, vehicles, appliances) drives habit.
  • Lower take‑rate but also lower cost base; resilient in low digital payments contexts.
  • Vulnerable to fraud/scams; relies on education, moderation, and policy enforcement.

Outcomes

  • Long‑running category liquidity with strong brand recall.
  • Sustained relevance even as managed marketplaces (e.g., Daraz) grew—different jobs‑to‑be‑done.

Lessons (Unit 2 lens)

  • “Marketplace” is not one thing: classifieds, managed marketplace, consignment, dropship, and retail all have distinct unit economics.
  • In low‑trust, cash‑dominant markets, classifieds can scale by minimizing friction and platform liability.
  • Upgrades (verification, escrow, delivery) should be sequenced to avoid breaking liquidity.

Chapters covered

  • Business models overview (2.1)
  • C2C vs. B2C marketplace mechanics (2.2)
  • Revenue models (ads, featured listings) (2.5)