eBay's Kijiji Move Is Yet Another Challenge to Newspapers

The prevailing wisdom is that by bringing internationally-focused Kijiji to the US, eBay (EBAY) is taking on Craigslist.

That’s not the case. Craigslist is growing too fast to give a damn, frankly. And, as everyone has mentioned by now, eBay is 25% owner of Craigslist and they also have a board seat. While Craig Newmark might not say so, one day, he’ll get tired of being the CSR extraordinaire at Craigslist and want to sell. Trust me, it’s a matter of time. He won’t sell to Microsoft (MSFT), nor to Yahoo! (YHOO), nor to Google (GOOG). I'm not sure beneath the bravado Jim Buckmaster or Craig appreciated Google Base. What’s Google Base? Exactly.

You might have forgotten, but Craig has not forgiven.

He’ll sell one day, and it will be to eBay.

Today’s move is about creating a sense of competition between Craigslist when in fact it will further checkmate newspapers who seem to be increasingly clueless in the online classifieds space.

Newspapers should be taking this fight to the Web giants, but the mere fact that eBay can launch, in the phonetically-challenged American land, a site called Kijiji and become somewhat successful while newspapers continue to build tall garden walls speaks volumes about where newspapers will end up if they keep these genius tactics up.

Comments

[Robert Nabloid:]

Something about Kijiji i don't like... i don't know if its the brand (due to the odd letters being repeated in an eye bothering fashion) or what... but I don't see it being overly successful as a brand because of name issues.

I do however like the site layout and prefer it over craigslist. It's very clean and professional looking.

2007 Jul 05 05:38 PM

[Ashkan Karb...:]

maybe too clean, CL fans like the no-frills aspect of CL. and yeah, kijiji is a mess to spell and look at. i know it need glasses, i don't need to be reminded of it when i see the word.

2007 Jul 05 05:46 PM

[Toronto Fre...:]

Would be more thorough if you provided at least some hints as to what's behind that assumption that craig newmark will eventually be selling to ebay(other than getting tired of being the CSR extraordinaire at Craigslist )

Jun 04 09:52 AM