Everyone wants in on the high-margin gig economy. The low-margin gig economy, in which brokers of work opportunity take a more traditional brokerage fee, between five percent and 10 percent, compared to today’s 25 percent or more of each transaction, will disrupt this movement toward consolidation. If Facebook recognizes this is its opportunity to be on the user’s side, it might break through.
Home services is big business, with US consumers spending $16 billion on cleanings alone in 2017. Facebook has partnered with cleaning and services companies Handy, HomeAdvisor, and Porch to bring cleaning and other such services to Marketplace in the US. That comes after Amazon hired a crew of cleaners for a Seattle-area pilot program in March, and Walmart partnered with Handy on furniture installation and assembly. In September 2017, Ikea bought TaskRabbit to build out delivery and assembly.