Mercari Hallo Job Search Platform to Accelerate Mercari Group’s Circulation of All Forms of Value by Turning Time and Skills Into Value
Mercari, Inc. (“Mercari”) announces the early spring 2024 launch of Mercari Hallo, a job search platform that enables users to make use of their idle time to work. With this, Mercari will be entering the on-demand labor business, providing a new way to work through one-off/short-term employment contracts.
In advance of the launch, Mercari is now accepting applications for partners who would like to post job listings on Mercari Hallo.
Adding time and skills to Mercari’s ecosystem to accelerate the circulation of all forms of value
In February 2023, Mercari celebrated its 10th anniversary and announced a new Group mission, which will propel Mercari Group through its next decade of growth: “Circulate all forms of value to unleash the potential in all people.” Ten years since its establishment, Mercari aims to be a marketplace where anyone can enjoy buying and selling items, with approximately 22.6 million monthly users and GMV for the most recent year on the scale of 1 trillion yen.1 Mercari has also enabled users to circulate money and credit through the Merpay payment and credit businesses, as well as begun offering the Mercard credit card and cryptoasset transactions on Mercari, to steadily expand its ecosystem to circulate all forms of value.
1. From FY2023.6 Q4 Financial Results
By entering the on-demand labor business, Mercari plans to expand its circulation of items, money, and credit to include time and skills (work). Mercari’s ecosystem already covers demand for buying and selling items and making payments through Mercari, which has a yearly GMV of approximately 1 trillion yen, and Merpay, its associated mobile payment service. By adding individuals’ unique time and skills to the forms of value circulated in this ecosystem, Mercari aims to connect work more closely with the experiences of buying items, payment, and credit.
With this on-demand labor business, Mercari hopes to address the social issue of personnel shortages and the rapidly increasing need for on-demand labor by providing Mercari’s over 22.6 million monthly users with an easy way to find work through the familiar Mercari marketplace app. In the future, Mercari will aim to create synergy by combining Mercari Hallo with its existing businesses, such as by enabling users to receive their wages immediately through Merpay and build up credit, which can be used to buy items on Mercari, to pay for everyday purchases, or to make purchases using Mercard. By providing this unique Mercari Group experience, Mercari strives to make work easier and create a world where anyone can achieve their dreams.
The rapidly expanding on-demand labor market and the problems it faces
Japan’s labor market has faced personnel shortages in recent years, and these shortages are expected to intensify going forward. On top of this, since the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals are seeking more flexibility in job offerings to match their lifestyles, with increased demand for side work and reskilling opportunities, as well as the growing acceptance of a four-day work week. These social conditions have driven a continued expansion of the on-demand labor market as a new way to work through one-off/short-term employment contracts.
On the other hand, on-demand labor is still an unfamiliar way to work for many people. Job seekers find the process of registration and searching and applying for jobs intimidating, while potential employers face uncertainty in how to effectively utilize on-demand services and whether or not they will be able to match with good workers. To date, Mercari has taken seemingly difficult processes, such as buying and selling items between individuals, opening online shops, and buying and selling cryptoassets, and made them easy and accessible to anyone. Mercari plans to do the same with the on-demand labor business, offering a service that is easily accessible to its 22.6 million monthly users and businesses that have not yet leveraged the possibilities of on-demand labor.
Mercari Hallo, making work easier for everyone
Mercari Hallo is a job search platform that enables users to make use of their idle time to work, under the concept of “for anyone, quickly, and easily.” The name “Mercari Hallo” is inspired by Mercari’s vision of a platform where “crew” (people looking for work) and “partners” (businesses posting job listings) casually find each other and exchange a friendly “hello!”
With Mercari Hallo, crew can easily search for work on the Mercari marketplace app, even if they have no experience with on-demand labor. Users who have already verified their identity on Mercari can apply to job listings without having to fill out any additional information. Both partners and crew have ratings just like on Mercari, helping both sides feel at ease.
Additionally, Mercari hopes to alleviate the uncertainty partners have about using on-demand labor by utilizing Mercari’s 22.6 million monthly users (including 13.95 million verified users1) and their wide variety of demographics and experience to match partners with the crew they need.
Mercari Hallo is currently in development, with plans to launch the service in parts of the greater Tokyo area scheduled for early spring 2024, followed by a gradual rollout to the rest of Japan. Going forward, Mercari will aim to maximize synergy between Mercari Hallo and its existing businesses, such as by enabling users of Mercari Hallo to receive cashless wages deposited directly to their Merpay accounts through collaboration with Mercari Group company Merpay, Inc.
Now accepting early applications for partners to post job listings on Mercari Hallo, with a 0-yen service fee promotion
In advance of the launch planned for early spring 2024, Mercari has opened an inquiry form for potential partners who would like to post job listings on Mercari Hallo. Interested businesses can contact Mercari through the form linked below.
Additionally, to commemorate this service announcement, Mercari is offering a 0-yen service fee promotion for partners who apply and register for the service before its launch. The 0-yen service fee period will last for a period of time after launch.
Details of early application period and 0-yen service fee promotion
- Application period: Starting November 13, 2023 (end date undetermined)
- How to apply
- Interested businesses can contact Mercari through the following form.
- URL: https://about.mercari.com/contact/mercarihallo/ (only available in Japanese)
- 0-yen service fee promotion details
- Partners who submit applications during the early application period will not be required to pay fees upon filling a job listing (0-yen service fee period yet to be determined).
- Important points to note
- Prior to posting job listings, partners will be required to go through a screening process and create a partner account on Mercari Hallo in accordance with Mercari’s instructions.
Through entering the on-demand labor business, Mercari Group aims to provide a job search experience that leads to work “for anyone, quickly, and easily” and make work easier in the process, aiming to create a world where anyone can do what they want.