Chain logo in the background, clothes clearly displayed on the rack right in front: facing the camera, this saleswoman is preparing to present the product that will be sold in the next few minutes. In the space of a few hours, with humor and advice, he will sell several dozen products from a very trendy brand, much sought after by fashionistas, with a starting price set at… One euro.
All this is watched by potential buyers who will not follow these sales on their televisions, but online on their screens. Welcome to Whatnot, the “live shopping” platform.
This platform was created in 2019 in Los Angeles by Grant Lafontaine and Logan Head. “Two passionate collectors who wanted to create a place where collectors could buy, sell and exchange in real time,” Pierre Tettart, Managing Director of France Whatnot, told Le Parisien.
“Between 30 and 40% of my turnover”
Accessible in France since 2023, this platform – which charges 8% for each sale – has been a hit for us in recent months. And many private sellers, like professionals, are getting started. A trend confirmed by the figures put forward by Pierre Tettart.
“We saw GMV (gross merchandise value) growth of nearly 400% year over year. This growth meant 400% more sellers.”
Present as a seller in Whatnot for a year, Margaux Blois indicated that this has “encouraged” her activity. “I think it even doubled my sales. For my business, it represents something very important, I realize a huge added value. It is between 30 and 40% of my turnover per month,” the founder of Plurielle second hand, an online shop selling second-hand luxury bags, told Le Parisien.
What Margaux values with Else – which invited her to join its platform -, unlike Vinted, in particular is the relationship with customers. “We have a direct relationship and we have time to sell our product, explain its quality in person and point out on camera any minor defects that may exist,” he notes. “On the other hand, customers can ask us, they also receive their packages quickly. »
He further emphasized that very little organization is required to make direct sales. “It requires setup, so two lights and a tripod, then off we go, we start shooting. »
“Our goal is to be a kind of live Veepee or Private Showroom”
Meanwhile, Club Market is trying its best. Live seven days a week, a team of professional salespeople… Whatnot’s 12,800-subscriber channel attracts the attention of 100 to 400 people who can follow its sales simultaneously and live.
“We are the only chain that operates every day, like a store,” said the Club Market manager, who defines himself as a “textile professional.” The latter describes its channel as a live clearance shop, with a clear goal: “We want to be a kind of live Veepee or Private Performance Room offering categories with programming throughout the day.”
And if this manager explains that these investments “have not been 100% profitable for the chain”, he points out that since March 2025 he has sold “more than 50 to 60,000 articles on the app”.
In others, the price can be fixed or the buyer can set an initial price, in the jargon “PDD”, with a timer and an auction system. In the Club Market, the choice is often made to set the initial selling price at one euro. “I buy my products in bulk and often they are -50 or -60% of the store price,” explains the chain manager, noting that auctions add “a little spice to the sale.”
“Prices starting from one euro are like roulette for us, we don’t know how much the goods will cost,” adds Margaux Blois. “But the good thing is that there are always winners in history. »
Club Market managers believe that in-person shopping could be the future. “I think this is a new market, with an audience to conquer. »
