Good news for shoppers around the world! The popular digital marketplace Mercari has announced a forthcoming app for global users.
On September 30, Mercari’s Global Sales Project Leader Ishikawa Yuu and Marketplace CEO Sako Shunsuke presented their plan for the new app. Beginning next year with Taiwan and Hong Kong, they plan to open access to users in over 50 territories within 3 years, and more than 100 territories in the near term beyond that.
What’s on the app?
Within Japan, Mercari is the largest digital community marketplace – a la eBay or Facebook marketplace – with over ¥10 billion in transactions from individuals and businesses every month. Their claim to fame is their smartphone app that put them ahead of the curve in the Japanese e-commerce sector back in 2013.
Mercari is an extremely popular place for buying second-hand clothing and collectibles. That also often leads it to become the subject of controversy. The service is a primary outlet for resellers who buy up new releases of limited edition goods before fans can and retail them for twice or more than their original price.
Mercari entered the US market in 2014 and the UK market in 2016 with apps servicing domestic sales in those regions (although the UK app shut down in 2019), but this new project is their first offering for international trade. With the new app, global users will be able to browse, purchase, and secure shipping for Japanese listings, although they won’t be able to create listings of their own.
Tackling growing export demand
The new plan comes as the demand for Japanese products booms, especially hobby and entertainment goods like anime merchandise and trading cards. So much so that Mercari plans to have a dedicated section of the app’s UI/UX just for merch and hobbies.
According to Mercari, the gross merchandise value of exports on their platform has grown 15-fold in the past 3 years, from an estimated ¥6 billion in 2022 to ¥90 billion in 2025, with roughly 70% of that value coming from hobbies and entertainment.
Mercari’s plan
Currently, fans worldwide have to go through Japanese third parties to access Mercari listings for Japan-exclusive products. The growing market has led to the emergence of specialized aggregation and warehousing services like Neokyo, building their business model on facilitating and securing these trades.
While the market was relatively small, Mercari supported these third-party practices, but with business booming, the platform has decided to get into the game itself. It aims to provide a streamlined, secure international trading service for buyers and sellers alike, directly from the platform.
This may be a blow to the middleman sector. However, it’s certainly a welcome change for shoppers, who currently have to navigate the scam-infested waters of third-party resale, with little to no recourse if things go wrong. Thankfully, Mercari intends to extend its conflict resolution and security services to the international version of its app.
When can I download?
With Taiwan and Hong Kong slated to launch in 2026, it looks like Asian territories can expect access within the next couple of years, with likely expansion to most larger, stable markets across the globe by the 2030s.
However, with new defensive tariffs coming from the current US administration every week, and the White House’s incestuous relations with competing tech giants like Amazon and Meta, only time will tell if Mercari can navigate the current chaotic and corrupt environment of US trade relations.
Regardless, this app is only good news for the growing community of hobbyists and fans. Whether you are looking for vintage Japanese denim or the grand prize at the conbini prize drawing, in a few short years, your life will be just that little bit easier.
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Sources
メルカリから「世界共通アプリ」、海外ユーザーも購入可能に まずは台湾・香港から. ITMedia
メルカリ、越境取引事業の新戦略を発表 世界共通アプリ「メルカリ グローバルアプリ」の提供と、 事業者向け越境EC基盤の強化でグローバル展開を加速. Mercari
Amazon’s newest rival is a Japanese start-up you need to know about. CNBC
Mercari marketplace to shut UK service in 2019. ChannelX
