Gumtree is an online classified advertisement and community website which is owned by the British. The company has its base set up in the Hotham House, Richmond Town, South-west of London. The service provided by the firm is either free or paid based on the product and geographical market. Gumtree.com was UK’s largest website in the local community and it was in the top 30 websites in the UK. It was receiving around 14.8 million unique visitors monthly.
The website Gumtree was founded by Michael Pennington and Simon Crookall in march 2000. The co-founders recognized it as the local London classified ads and community website. The main aim behind designing the site is to connect New Zealanders, Australians, and South Africans. These foreigners were either planning to move to the UK or are present in the city. The need for accommodation, employment, and connecting with new people was fulfilled for the foreigners and the business was run with this idea.
The reason behind naming the site Gumtree is to connect the three communities. The gumtrees are found in the native regions of Australia and New Zealand where as it is introduced in South Africa. Moreover, the Founders felt that it reflects the roots and branches of the real community.
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Who owned Gumtree?
In May 2005, the eBay classifieds group acquired Gumtree for an undisclosed sum. However, eBay announced that it paid a total of $81.6 million for three classified sites Gumtree, LoQUo, and opusforum. At the time of the acquisition, Gumtree was available in various cities in the UK, Poland, France, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and Hong Kong.
The rebranding of Gumtree took place on January 7, 2016, that includes an updated logo of the site. The logo is still in use on the website and the respected applications. The website was acquired by multiple owners with respect to time.
In the year 2020 while the pandemic hit the world gumtree UK was acquired by Adevinta. The deal is worth more than $9 billion.
In a similar fashion, gumtree UK and the other two sites were again sold out to the New York-based family investment fund. It was done in December 2021.
In April 2022, the Polish version of the site announced that it is ceasing its operations in Poland.
August 2022 brought some fortunes for gumtree Australia as it was acquired by Market Herald. The deal is worth $AUD86.7million which is about US$60 million.
Moving Forward with the Vision of Gumtree
At Gumtree, we help make good finds a reality. From great deals that will save you a few extra pounds, to finding a buyer who enjoys something as much as you do.
It’s our responsibility to make sure getting a good find is always simple, easy, and enjoyable. So we can build a culture where people share more and waste less. The site is committed to building a culture of e-commerce in the UK. The site believes it is good for business, good for society, and good for the planet. We help make good finds a reality because we believe that everything can find a new purpose.
Gumtree is united by a passion for good finds and believes that it is our sole responsibility to make getting a good find simple, easy, and enjoyable. So, these guidelines are to help define the community we want to build at Gumtree. Make it clear what you can expect from gumtree, the team, and community.
Gumtree Australia
Join 6 million gummies in Australia’s most popular marketplace and start trading today at gumtree.com.au.
It brings buyers and sellers together in the local community, with over 2.5 million listings in hundreds of categories. Moreover, it is a platform where you can buy, sell and find just about anything.
With over 45,000 new entries every day in categories like Home & Garden, Babies & Kids, Sports & Fitness, Clothing & Jewelery, and jobs.
Promoting successful and safe local commerce is our top priority and we aim to continue to build a community marketplace where all Australians can thrive.
Gumtree South Africa
Gumtree is becoming a popular South African proverb. Since it launched the services in 2005, the website helped millions of people buy and sell millions of things. A place everyone trusts, a familiar area that’s easy to navigate, and a classified site that just works. However, it is irrespective of your mobile or desktop device. The best part of the site is it is free.
So, whether you’re looking for a car or a hair salon, a job or a house, chances are if it’s not this site, it doesn’t exist.
Conclusion
Gumtree.com is in the advertising industry for the past 23 years showing its strong presence. However, the websites aim is to gather multiple communities on their need to boost their business. Website is available in different nations with the same domain and serving in a similar fashion. It is one of the world’s best websites according to a website audit.