Whatnot

Whatnot is a live-shopping marketplace where people buy, sell, and connect around shared interests. The platform combines livestreams and real-time interaction with an online marketplace, bringing aspects of in-person shopping into a digital setting.

Buyers can join live shows featuring auctions, flash sales, giveaways, and conversation with sellers. They can also browse sellers’ storefronts and purchase listed products outside of a livestream. Whatnot describes its marketplace as spanning a broad range of products, including collectibles, fashion, beauty, electronics, and other specialty goods.

For sellers, Whatnot offers tools to present and sell products in real time through live shows or through a storefront where buyers can shop at their own pace. Sellers can use auctions and fixed-price listings, and the company says its integrated tools support payments, shipping, and order management. The service is designed for both individual sellers and businesses seeking an audience for their products.

Whatnot was founded in 2019 by collectors. It began with a focus on collectibles such as trading cards, Funko Pop figures, sports memorabilia, and comic books, before expanding into additional product categories. The company’s stated mission is to enable people to turn their passions into businesses while bringing people together through commerce.

The platform’s live format lets sellers demonstrate products and answer buyers’ questions as they shop. Whatnot describes real-time interaction as a way for buyers and sellers to engage more directly than through static listings, while helping sellers connect with people interested in the same products and communities.

Whatnot’s marketplace serves buyers looking to discover and purchase products, as well as sellers who want to build an audience and sell through live events or online storefronts. The company’s public materials emphasize community, commerce, and entertainment as central elements of its shopping experience.