Nextdoor expands its buy, sell, and give feature with the launch of Free Finds

New made-in-Canada offering builds on the popular For Sale & Free feature while helping to reduce waste and boost the share economy among neighbours

Today we are excited to announced Free Finds, a new feature enabling neighbours who haven’t yet signed up for Nextdoor to easily find and browse the wealth of free items in their neighbourhood. Developed by Nextdoor’s Toronto-based engineering hub, this new feature is designed to help the growing number of neighbours who are turning to the share economy to swap free items locally instead of buying new. 

Canadians generate approximately 31 million tonnes of garbage a year (and only recycle about 30 per cent of that material). As more Canadians look for ways to cut financial costs and clean up their communities, Nextdoor is seeing a significant spike in neighbours swapping free items. Free Finds makes it easier than ever to find free items nearby by browsing listings on Nextdoor. Neighbours not yet on the platform can then contact the giver simply by signing up for a free Nextdoor account.

Since the beginning of 2020, globally Nextdoor has seen an 80% increase in monthly listings to its buy, sell, and give away product, with 25% of items listed as free, showing the appetite for giving is strong. In Canada, the top categories for free items are furniture, clothing, home decor and appliances and to date, the top three neighbourhoods for giving away free items are Bloordale (Toronto), Lisgar (Mississauga), and Amberlea (Pickering). 

When it comes to turning one neighbour’s trash into another’s treasure and earning some extra money along the way, the top earning neighbourhoods over the last 12 months are: Lisgar (Mississauga), Churchill Meadows (Mississauga), Erin Mills (Mississauga), Sainte-Julienne (Lanaudière) and Graydon (Toronto), collectively earning more than $3.4M out of the $18M in total national listings.*

Additionally, Nextdoor has revamped its popular For Sale & Free product which will now be called Nextdoor Finds. This redesign took what neighbours loved most about the product and made it a more tailored experience. Nextdoor Finds better serves neighbours with personalized recommendations, Free Finds, unique categories such as “Neighbour Made” and “Neighbour Services,” and more.

“Free Finds is an extension of a product loved by neighbours around the world and we’re proud to have our Canadian engineering team behind it,” said Christopher Doyle, Managing Director, Nextdoor Canada. “It’s your trusted neighbourhood treasure map to live sustainably, save money, build local connections, and of course find items for your everyday needs.” 

Free Finds and Nextdoor Finds are both free to use and available in all countries Nextdoor operates in at nextdoor.ca/freefinds or by visiting the Nextdoor Finds section in the Nextdoor app. 

*Based on the total value of items for sale on Nextdoor over the last 12 months.