What is Whatnot? Everything you need to know

Launched in 2019 by Grant LaFontaine and Logan Head, Whatnot combines three ingredients that don’t obviously go together: Twitch-style video livestreaming, old-school auctions and modern e-commerce. The result? An addictive platform where users spend an average of 80 minutes a day – and where sellers turn their passion into a thriving business.

The numbers are dizzying: 3 billion dollars in transactions in 2024, a valuation reaching 11.5 billion dollars in October 2025, and a conversion rate of around 30% that would make traditional e-commerce giants envious.

The concept fits on a Post-it note: sellers start livestreams where they present their products on camera, answer questions in real time and launch auctions. Each new bid resets the countdown timer, creating the same palpable tension you’d find in a physical auction house.

On the business-model side, Whatnot charges between 5–8% commission in the United States (6.67% in Europe) plus 2.9% in processing fees. In exchange, the platform handles everything: payment, prepaid shipping labels, analytics dashboards. Sellers can focus entirely on their show.

Although Whatnot started with collectibles (Pokémon cards, Funko Pops and other cult items), the platform now offers more than 250 categories. The real surprise? Women’s fashion has become the fastest-growing category, with some sellers exceeding one million dollars in monthly revenue.

Rare plants are emerging as a new trend (searches for “grow lights” have jumped 65%), while sports memorabilia are booming, driven in particular by the rising popularity of the WNBA (+1500% in searches).

Across Europe, Whatnot is moving from early adoption to the mainstream. According to the Whatnot European Market Report 2025, the number of sellers on the platform in Europe grew by more than 600% in a single year. In key markets such as Germany, the U.K., France, the Netherlands, Austria and Belgium, buyers now spend around 65 minutes per day on Whatnot, while sellers collectively host over 20,000 hours of live shows every week.

Live selling is also becoming a real revenue engine for European merchants: 65% of sellers generate more than £10,000 in monthly sales on Whatnot, and one in four passes the £50,000 mark. Germany, the U.K. and France are the leading markets, driven by categories like fashion, trading cards, beauty, sneakers and toys.

In the U.K., creators produced over 400,000 hours of live content in 2024 and viewers watched more than 5 million hours of streams; in France, the number of sellers grew by 650% and shoppers watched over 1.3 million hours of livestreams. Cross-border trade is booming as well, with European buyers and sellers increasingly transacting across borders, making live shopping a truly pan-European phenomenon rather than a purely local trend.

• First, authenticity. Fewer than half of seller applications are accepted, ensuring a high level of quality. For collectors willing to pay 30% more than on TikTok Shop, that peace of mind is priceless.
• Then, engagement. 62% of buyers come back every month, the average buyer makes more than 12 purchases per week, and 62% of sellers operate exclusively on Whatnot (Whatnot Report 2025). These figures point to a truly engaged community, not people just passing through.
• Finally, entertainment. Whatnot turns shopping into a show. Live giveaways, nerve-racking auctions and real-time chat interactions create that “group virtual treasure hunt” investors love – and that static product catalogues will never be able to replicate.

The chart below shows the benefits for sellers engaging in live commerce in Europe, based on a survey conducted by Whatnot in 2025:

TikTok Shop is its most serious competitor. Integrated directly into the TikTok app, with more than 275 million users in Europe, TikTok Shop benefits from massive reach and native integration with viral content.

However, Whatnot keeps an edge: its highly engaged community focused on collectibles and niche items, with prices often 30% higher than on TikTok Shop but justified by authenticity and quality.

With the U.S. live shopping market estimated at 19 billion dollars, Whatnot proves there is a viable alternative to the cold transactional model that still dominates online commerce. The platform will not replace Amazon, but it is redefining what “buying online” means for millions of people.

For retailers and brands, the lesson is clear: human interaction, community and entertainment are no longer optional extras – they are expectations. Social commerce is no longer an emerging trend; it is already the present.

Whatnot continues to expand its presence in Europe with operational hubs in Germany, Poland, Ireland and the United Kingdom. French sellers interested in the platform can apply via the mobile app or the website, while buyers can sign up directly and benefit from promotional credits on their first purchases.