Buying stock is one of the biggest barriers to growing a live-selling business.
You need the money to buy it, somewhere to store it, time to organise it — and then you still have to pack and ship everything you sell.
Huddled Group thinks it has another way.
The company has launched new technology designed to let live sellers sell from a central pool of stock, while Huddled takes care of inventory, orders and fulfilment behind the scenes.
In simple terms:
The seller sells. Huddled handles the stock and shipping.
How would it work?
Instead of every live seller buying and storing their own products, multiple sellers could potentially access stock held within Huddled's system.
Presenters can then concentrate on what they're good at — going live, engaging viewers and selling products.
Huddled executive chairman Martin Higginson explained:
“Our software lets sellers focus entirely on what they do best: selling.”
And they're doing it on Whatnot
Huddled has also entered a new partnership with AEWW Limited.
AEWW currently runs AE Stores, a Whatnot account with around 36,500 followers.
That account will now become Peeko Gadgets, joining Huddled's other Peeko live-selling channels covering categories including beauty and treats.
More Whatnot stores and product categories are also planned.
Huddled has already been testing live-auction selling through Whatnot and says the early results have been encouraging.
Why should UK resellers pay attention?
The interesting part isn't really Huddled's share price.
It's the business model.
Most independent resellers currently take the financial risk themselves. They buy the products, hold the stock and hope they can sell it.
But live commerce could increasingly produce another type of seller:
someone who doesn't own the stock at all.
Instead, a larger company provides the products, warehousing and fulfilment while the live seller provides the personality, audience and ability to sell.
That could dramatically lower the barrier to becoming — and scaling as — a live seller.
And it's another sign that companies are starting to think much more seriously about the infrastructure sitting behind live commerce.