Catawiki, the Dutch auction site that has sold over 2.5 million special items since its inception in 2008, is expanding its reach and attracting new customers. While it was initially popular among collectors of old comic books, stamp albums, vintage jewelry, and furniture, it now aims to appeal to a broader audience, especially in France where it has over 500,000 customers.
To make the buying experience more convenient for its customers, Catawiki has introduced a new feature called “Buy now.” This allows sellers to offer an option for customers to purchase an item at a set price before the end of the auction. With just one click, buyers can purchase the item without having to continually bid on the platform.
The “Buy now” button appears on the product image and indicates that the item can be purchased outside of the auction. Sellers have flexibility in setting the price or can choose to rely on Catawiki’s experts to suggest the best possible value. The option disappears 24 hours before the auction ends, streamlining the buying process and reducing average sales time from 7 days to 3.5 days.
The live purchasing feature has been tested for over a year and a half before its full rollout this week with over 10,000 items already sold through this method on the platform. This new feature has proven successful with items like a miniature Mercedes-Benz 300 SL coupe and a fossilized marine reptile selling within seconds of offering the “Buy now” option.
