SAN FRANCISCO: Amazon.com Inc later this year plans to launch a marketplace for local services, a broad term that encompasses anything from babysitters to handymen, several people familiar with the matter said.
The move takes direct aim at consumer review sites Yelp Inc and Angie's List Inc as well as US home improvement chains Home Depot Inc and Lowe's Companies Inc, which have both invested in ways to connect customers with local plumbers, painters and other service providers. Amazon declined to comment.
In recent months, Amazon has reached out directly to service providers as well as to several startups in Seattle and San Francisco that already connect service providers to customers through their own web sites and mobile applications.
At least one of the startups contacted by Amazon focuses on home repair. Others offer a broader range of services that include massages and haircuts.
The company has been experimenting with ways to tie services to the products it sells. In one example, Amazon recently ran a test on its website offering installation services to users who bought Nest thermostats.
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