Blocket launches new initiatives during the corona crisis - hopes others will be inspired

Blocket is using its platform and its two sites Blocket Jobb and Blocket Bostad to contribute to society during the coronavirus crisis. By launching and promoting different initiatives and collaborations, it hopes to inspire others to help.

Blocket is Sweden's largest online marketplace for second-hand goods and has several sites linked to it, including the job site Blocket Jobb and the housing site Blocket Bostad. As a result of COVID-19, Blocket is now using its sites to highlight initiatives that can help society.

- "We are a values- and purpose-driven company that wants to contribute to a sustainable world for everyone, and we have a platform that we believe is a very good tool. For us, it was therefore obvious to consider what we could contribute," says Pernilla Nissler, CEO of Blocket.

To make it easier for those who are able to help, Blocket has started the hashtag #blockethjälpen. The initiative is based on the fact that it is free to post ads where you offer help. For example, it can be about shopping, walking the dog, or helping with homework.

- With Blockethjälpen, we can offer our platform to people who want to help all over the country," says Pernilla Nissler.

Blocket has also started a collaboration with the hotel chain Elite Hotels, which means that the hotel can post hotel rooms as housing on Blocket Bostad. Through the collaboration, Blocket wants to help fill empty hotel rooms and save hotel jobs. At the same time, it sees that the collaboration can facilitate in cities where there is a housing shortage.

- We saw that our platform could help in other ways. Together with Elite Hotels, we can reach out to housing seekers looking for monthly accommodation throughout Sweden," says Pernilla Nissler.

In addition to these two initiatives, Blocket also uses its site Blocket Jobb for the initiatives "Blocket hilft sjukvården" and "Talanger söker och talanger finnes". The first is about making it free for employers who recruit in the healthcare sector in selected professional categories that are in great need right now. The second initiative is that Blocket has made it free to advertise on Blocket Jobb. The purpose of this is to help match companies that are forced to issue redundancies with companies that have staff shortages.

- We hope that what we do on Blocket and what our users do will have a ripple effect and lead to good ideas in others. For us, these initiatives are a way to take responsibility and be part of a solution. We believe that by inspiring and influencing each other to do good things together, we can get out of this crisis more easily," says Pernilla Nissler.