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Jofie Yordan · · 4 min read

Carousell’s next golden egg: used cars?

Welcome to The Checkout! Delivered every Thursday via email and through the Tech in Asia website, this free newsletter breaks down the biggest stories and trends in ecommerce. If you’re not a subscriber, get access by registering here.

Hi there,

It’s been raining almost every day lately in Jakarta, which is making it hard to leave the house without using a car.

As a result, I’ve been checking out some models, but looking at their prices, it seems I’ll have to rethink buying a new one. Maybe a used car could be the best choice.

In Southeast Asia, the digital revolution has come to the used-car space, with platforms like Carro and Carsome letting users purchase a car directly with their electronic devices. In this week’s Big Story, my colleague Nikita explores a rising player in the space: Carousell Auto, which has become a big bet for the Singapore-based secondhand marketplace.

Launched after Carousell saw large demand for used cars among its customers, Carousell Auto has since accounted for a third of the company’s revenue as of April 2021. Will this be a game-changer for the Singapore-based firm as it eyes an IPO this year? Or will it face stiff competition from existing players?

In addition, I look at the slowdown in China’s community group-buying space. Will this have an impact on similar players in Indonesia, who are still in their early stages?

More on this in today’s Hot Take.

— Jofie


THE BIG STORY

Behind Carousell’s bid for the $61b used car space in SEA

Image credit: Timmy Loen

Carousell’s autos vertical accounted for a third of the Group’s revenue last year. Can it continue to be a bet-worthy horse?


THE HOT TAKE

China’s group-buying space is in trouble. Should Indonesian players worry?


NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW


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TIA Writer

Jofie Yordan

Based in Jakarta. A correspondent at Tech in Asia who covers startups and VC, with a primary focus on the ecommerce sector in Southeast Asia.