Mercari Hallo Reaches 2.5 Million Registrations in First Month; Users to Be Able to Work at Over 50,000 Familiar Locations Nationwide From the Mercari App
Mercari, Inc. (“Mercari”) announces that, as of April 16, 2024, it has begun expanding Mercari Hallo, its “quick and easy for anyone” on-demand work service, to locations nationwide. Mercari Hallo launched on March 6 with job listings from work locations in Tokyo and the three surrounding prefectures, and reached 2.5 million registrations in its first month.1 In response to this positive reaction, Mercari has today begun nationwide expansion of Mercari Hallo, with plans to publish job listings for more than 50,000 stores, including nationwide chains and local supermarkets.
To commemorate the nationwide expansion of the Mercari Hallo service, Mercari has also started a promotion where users will receive 1,000 points on Mercari for each shift they work of eligible job listings through Mercari Hallo.2
In recent years, the on-demand labor market has continued to expand as a new way to work through one-off/short-term employment contracts, with the market as a whole growing to a scale of 15 million people.3 At the same time, because it is still a new way of working, many people are apprehensive about using on-demand labor services, with concerns such as the registration, usage, and application processes seeming intimidating and the perceived difficulty of searching for and working shifts. To address these issues and embody its group mission to circulate all forms of value to unleash the potential in all people, Mercari launched Mercari Hallo on March 6, 2024.4
Mercari Hallo currently has over 2.5 million registered users, with the age of crew (users) ranging from teens to 60s. The service is also contributing to the expansion of the market as a whole, with more than 60% of users who have worked shifts through Mercari Hallo experiencing on-demand labor for the first time. The number of users registered for on-demand labor services has increased by 5.1 million in the past year.5 Compared to this, the number of registrations on Mercari Hallo reached 2.5 million in only one month, showing fast growth.
In response to this positive reaction, Mercari has today begun nationwide expansion of Mercari Hallo, enabling users to work at 50,000 familiar locations, including local companies and nationwide chains such as Domino’s Pizza.
1. The cumulative number of registered users who have agreed to the terms of service for the on-demand work service Mercari Hallo (as of April 5)
2. Users can receive points for up to six shifts worked during the promotion period (1,000 points per shift). Points received have an expiration date.
3. According to the Japan Spot Work Association; as of March 2024
4. For more details, see here: https://about.mercari.com/en/press/news/articles/20231113_mercarihallo/
5. According to the Japan Spot Work Association; the simple total of registered users on four major on-demand labor services (from March 2023 to March 2024). Mercari Hallo not included, as Mercari joined the Japan Spot Work Association in April 2024.
Labor Shortage Issues Outside of Tokyo
Research shows that Japan will face a labor shortage of more than 3.41 million people in 2030 and 11 million people in 2040. This problem is particularly serious in non-urban areas, with research by Recruit Works Institute predicting that all prefectures in Japan other than Tokyo will face labor shortages by 2040.6 Additionally, with the lifting of restrictions put in place during the pandemic causing a leap in inbound tourism, as well as other factors, it is anticipated that tourist areas in particular will need an increased number of workers. Given these issues, the Japanese government’s basic policy (Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform 2023) includes promoting diverse work styles to address structural labor shortages.7 On-demand labor, which allows individuals to flexibly choose a work style that suits their needs, thereby enabling diverse talent to make the most of their abilities, serves to resolve these structural labor shortages.
Mercari Hallo aims to leverage its strength of being “quick and easy for anyone” and match partners with Mercari’s more than 23 million monthly users located all across the country to contribute to solving the labor shortage issue in areas outside of Tokyo.
6. Source: Recruit Works Institute (https://www.works-i.com/research/works-report/item/forecast2040.pdf)
7. Source: Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform 2023, page 9 (https://www5.cao.go.jp/keizai-shimon/kaigi/cabinet/honebuto/2023/2023_basicpolicies_en.pdf)
Establishment of an Osaka Office
Alongside the start of Mercari Hallo’s nationwide expansion, Mercari has established a new Osaka office to accelerate the expansion of Mercari Hallo partners. The company aims to deepen collaboration with not only nationwide chains, but also regional shops and small- to medium-sized businesses.
Mercari Hallo’s Strengths
Over 60% of crew are experiencing on-demand labor for the first time
In a survey carried out by Mercari targeting crew who worked shifts through Mercari Hallo in March, 62% of crew answered that this was the first time they had used an on-demand labor service. This shows that even for users who have never used on-demand labor services before, Mercari offers a friendly and familiar way to easily start a new job.
Survey overview:
Target: Mercari Hallo users
Survey period: March 6, 2024–March 31, 2024
Method: Mercari app survey
Number of respondents: 330 people
Approximately half of crew are repeat users of Mercari Hallo
Of crew who worked shifts through Mercari Hallo, 45% (approximately half) were repeat users who had used Mercari Hallo twice or more. This indicates that for many people, one use provides a push to turn on-demand labor into a part of their daily lives.
Reasons for using Mercari Hallo: Ease of registration, sense of security with the service
In Mercari’s survey, many crew answered that they used Mercari Hallo for reasons such as ease of registration as a Mercari user and confidence in the safety of the service as a Mercari service. This indicates that Mercari Hallo is providing an opportunity for even users who have never used on-demand labor services before to begin.
Survey overview:
Target: Mercari Hallo users
Survey period: March 6, 2024–March 31, 2024
Method: Mercari app survey
Number of respondents: 122 people
Used by a wide range of ages
While the general perception of the on-demand labor market is that it is aimed at young people and/or students, Mercari Hallo users cover a wide age range, from teens to 50s and over.
Over 30% of registered users are office workers or employees of non-governmental/non-profit organizations
Mercari Hallo is used not only by conventional part-time workers and students, but also by working adults as a method of engaging in side jobs. More than one-third of registered users (34%) are office workers or employees of non-governmental/non-profit organizations, indicating that Mercari Hallo is addressing the rising need for side income.
Launch of a Promotion to Commemorate the Nationwide Expansion of the Service
To commemorate the nationwide expansion of Mercari Hallo and support those starting on-demand work, Mercari will be launching a new promotion from April 22.
- Period: 12:00 AM, April 22, 2024 – 11:59 PM, May 10, 2024
- Content: Receive 1,000 points on Mercari for each shift worked of eligible job listings through Mercari Hallo (up to 6 shifts)
For more details, see here:
https://campaign.jp.mercari.com/pages/mercari_hallo_202404_nationwide_cpn_pre/index.html
With Mercari Hallo, Mercari will continue to aim to make work easier to support people in doing what they love and achieving their dreams.