Amazon is planning to launch a marketplace for local businesses. According to Reuters, this service will connect customers with babysitters, handymen, hair stylists and more. Amazon will reportedly test the new service before rolling it out for public, which is expected to be later this year. The report also claims that the company is reaching out to service providers in Seattle and San Francisco, including at least one home repair business. Amazon being the connector, the quality of local services would be backed by the company’s “A-to-z Guarantee” for verifying third-party vendors.
Considering the rumors to be true, Amazon will give a hard competition to similar services like Angie’s List and Yelp, who already connect users with local services. This move will be another step in its already growing services business. AmazonFresh, the company’s grocery delivery service, is already expected to launch in 20 new markets this year. What’s more, the company is also rumored to have a payments platform to process customers’ monthly subscription payments for a small fee.
SOURCE: Reuters
