Livestream shopping platform Whatnot reported what it described as “exponential Black Friday growth” after recording more than US $ 75 million in live sales during this year’s event — a figure three times higher than last year’s total.
The company, which has been expanding rapidly across major markets and launched its sportswear category in the UK in September, has also bolstered its financial position with significant fundraising. Its latest capital injection has pushed the firm’s valuation to US $ 11.5 billion.
Whatnot said Black Friday delivered substantial gains across Europe. Sales in the UK rose by 406%, followed by France with growth of 288% and Germany up 256%.
The platform also reported a sharp increase in new customers, noting that the number of first-time buyers had quadrupled compared with last year — a sign, it said, that consumers are continuing to adopt livestream shopping at scale.
According to the company, an average of 40 items were purchased every second during the event, and one small business generated more than US $ 1 million in sales from a single show.
In October, Whatnot announced another major fundraising round — its second of the year. The platform, which is now the largest live shopping marketplace in the US, UK and Europe, raised US $ 225 million in Series F funding co-led by DST Global and CapitalG, with additional new investors participating.
