Whoppah, the digital secondhand marketplace for interior design and art, launches in Germany
Why don’t you briefly introduce your startup Whoppah to the readers?
Whoppah is one of the largest online marketplaces for secondhand design furniture and art in Europe. Our platform offers a wide selection of curated design classics, high-quality furniture and second-hand art. What it means. Every piece of art or furniture is checked by our team before it can be offered on Whoppah. Our curators check the authenticity, quality and condition of the pieces. In addition, we place special emphasis on secure buying and selling processes and smooth in-house logistics to make using Whoppah as easy as possible for buyers and sellers.
Why did you decide to start a company and what is the vision behind it?
We founded Whoppah in 2019 out of a personal desire: We were looking in vain for a platform that exclusively traded designer furniture pieces. The founding idea came about after we realized that you often have to search long and in vain on the usual online marketplaces.
With Whoppah, we want to promote the circular economy and encourage a change in consumer thinking. We believe that secondhand should be easily accessible to all and ideally become the new norm. The most environmentally friendly product remains the one that does not need to be produced. Our wish is that consumers will consider secondhand products as their first choice in the future.
From idea to launch what have been the biggest challenges so far and how have you financed?
Fortunately, we have a great team at Whoppah that ensures we can offer a very intuitive and innovative technology. However, getting there is often not easy, because great teams don’t fall from the sky – they have to bring the right skills and fit the brand to do so. Then there is the question of market fit for a product like Whoppah. We are continuously adapting to current market conditions.
We finance our startup together with other entrepreneurs with experience in interior design, technology, e-commerce and finance. All investors are convinced of our vision and stand behind us 100 percent. The fact that this expertise and passion is paying off is shown by our first sales figures, of which we are very proud. In 2021, revenue (GMV) was EUR 6 million, and the following year it increased by 316 percent to EUR 20 million. For 2023, we expect sales of 50 million euros.
Who is Whoppah’s target audience?
Whoppah is aimed at all art connoisseurs and design lovers, but also at consumers who don’t want to sacrifice a certain luxury on a smaller budget.
Style-conscious people with a sustainable lifestyle will also find exactly what they are looking for.
How does Whoppah work? What are the advantages? What sets you apart from other providers?
Whoppah fills a niche that has remained empty until now: an online marketplace that precisely targets lovers of design. Whoppah convinces both with its ease of use via website and app, as well as with fair prices. The buyer protection also ensures a secure purchase transaction, and the in-house logistics ensure smooth processes, even for private customers.
Whoppah, where are you headed? Where do you see yourself in five years?
We want to be the largest second-hand marketplace for design and art in Europe. Whoppah’s goal in Germany is 1000 registrations per day. While talks are already underway with more investors, expansion into Italy and France is already on our agenda.
In conclusion: What 3 tips would you give to aspiring founders?
We recommend setting high goals right away. That motivates even more. These goals should be clearly defined so that the team behind the brand knows what it is working for.
Nevertheless, the following applies: Never give up. There is no one tip that will bring instant success. Success comes from all the small steps that are taken. Every single step brings you a little bit closer to your goal.
Copyright Picture: whoppah
More information you will find here
Thank you Evelien Remmelts and Thomas Bunnik for the Interview
Statements of the author and the interviewee do not necessarily represent the editors and the publisher opinion again.
