Build a flea market on a mobile phone: Japan's new star Mercari

Mercari, now the star of Japan's electricity business, has grown so fast since its establishment last July that it won the first investment of $3 million in its 3-week time, and now has $21 million trillion in C-round financing, now totaling 41.6 million dollars.

Mercari is a flea market made of mobile phone applications, users can free on this platform to buy and sell all kinds of second-hand goods, clothing, home appliances and so on. Founder Yamada said that the platform is simple and convenient, such as you do not want to use your PSP, and do not ask for a high price to sell, then you want to have a channel to quickly shot, than the "auction" form is simpler, Mercari is to establish such a "no friction community." Last month alone, there were more than 5 million downloads and tens of millions of dollars in trading. At present, the main customer base of Mercari is housewives, and women's clothing and children's clothing trade most.

There are now two big power companies in Japan, Rakuten of Rakuten, and Yahoo Auction, a second-hand trader. The market share of Mercari is still low compared to both, but it has a loyal group of users that it attracts, and it is not without a way to keep downloading as it is. Moreover, in Japan, there have been more than 10 of increasingly accepted electric business apps, so "Ishing", the key is to focus on where?

Mercari a 14.5 million dollar round of investment in March this year, he began to prepare to open up markets in the United States, even if the difficulties, but many investors are optimistic about its prospects. The list of investors, as well as the participation of Wil, one of Japan's biggest VCs, Wil as a bridge between Japan and the United States, helping start-ups grow in both markets.

Not long ago, when 36 Krypton reported on the second-hand clothing consignment platform ThredUp Financing information, my colleague, Sue, combed through second-hand modes such as Tradesy, the real real, Poshmark, and Threadflip:

ThredUp's access to capital is that its service mechanism makes the entire transaction process very simple, the user only need to put clothes in the bag, you can wait to collect money. In fact, we can think of domestic Taobao can also sell their own idle things, but this thredup even do not need you to open a shop, also do not need your own docking Express company. All flow plainly, is a register and tell the site your home address, that's all.