Product Spotlight: Turning Buyer Intent into Discovery and Sales
We’re always learning how buyer behavior is evolving so you can stay one step ahead.
Sometimes it’s a new category taking off, a shift in how buyers shop, or a signal there’s more room to grow in what you’re already selling. This month’s updates are built around those signals, helping you show up in the right places, capture more of the demand already there, and expand into what’s next.
Here’s what’s new.
Turn intent into action: Live listings + Buy It Now
More buyers are coming to Whatnot with clear intent. They know the brands, categories, and products they want, and they are actively searching for them. The challenge is that buyers cannot always tell if your show has what they are looking for before they enter. This creates missed opportunities, even when you have the right inventory.
To address this, we built a new feature that shows buyers what you are actively selling before they join your show. It will be in testing for sellers, so you can see how your listings appear to buyers as we continue to refine the experience. As shoppers browse categories, they will not only see that your show is live, but also what you are selling at that moment.
Imagine walking through a mall looking for activewear. You can tell what each store is from the sign, but one has a display window that catches your eye, while another is empty. You are far more likely to walk into the one that shows you what is inside.
The same applies here. When buyers can see your inventory upfront, they’re more likely to join your show ready to engage and make a purchase. From there, the key is making that purchase as easy as possible.
That’s where Buy It Now comes in. These fixed-price listings let buyers purchase instantly, either during a live show or directly from your profile shop. Nearly half of buyers open the live store as soon as they join to see what’s available, and strong, clear listings help them quickly decide whether to stick around. Buyers who are short on time, or looking for something specific, will often purchase right away if they find what they want but can’t stay for the full show. The result is sellers who list at least three “Buy It Now” items during a live show earn about 2x more per hour, with roughly 40% of their total sales coming from those listings.
Listings help drive discovery and engagement, capture demand and improve conversion. Together, they help you turn buyer intent into action while improving selection, conversion, and overall buyer experience.
How to use it: Use detailed live listings to showcase your items, and list your inventory in Buy It Now so buyers who know what they want can purchase instantly.
Show up where demand exists: new subcategories
Whatnot has always been driven by sellers who bring unique inventory to life. From hard-to-find pieces to trending products and niche collectibles, that variety is what keeps buyers coming back. It’s a place where discovery happens naturally, often leading buyers from what they were looking for to something unexpected.
What’s changing is where that journey begins. More buyers are starting with something specific, whether it’s a product they’ve been hearing about or actively trying to find. That creates a clear opportunity to show up where demand already exists, with the right listings, in the right categories, at the right time.
To support this, we are continuously adding and refining subcategories to make search more precise, with new categories launching every week. Here are some of the latest additions:
Men’s Fashion: Men's Activewear
Women’s Fashion: Women's Swimwear
Disney: Loungefly
Jewelry: Women's Fashion Jewelry, Diamonds & Gemstones, and Western & Southwestern Jewelry
Toys: Slime & Squishy Toys
Slime & Squishy Toys is a category that highlights how quickly demand can build. Products like NeeDoh picked up momentum across social and retail, and that demand showed up fast on Whatnot. What started building in late 2025 has surged over the past month, growing nearly 190× in total sales and rising to the #1 search term on the platform.
By listing your products in specific subcategories, you not only reach demand directly, you also stand out to the right buyers at the right time. Instead of getting lost in a broad category, your items show up where buyers are actively looking and ready to purchase. For example, if you’re selling a men’s Nike workout set, listing it under Men’s Activewear instead of a general fashion category makes it much more likely to surface and stand out to buyers searching for activewear.
How to use it: List items in the most specific category possible and stay close to what buyers are actively searching for. The more aligned you are with real-time demand, the more discovery works in your favor.
Where demand is growing: Beauty and brands
Another signal of this shift toward intent-driven shopping is the growing role of brands. Brands are now live in Beauty, starting with Makeup & Skincare and Fragrances & Perfume, with more categories coming soon.
Beauty is a strong early example of how brands are shaping growth on Whatnot. Over the past year, the category has more than tripled in monthly sales, with Fragrance growing 8× and Makeup & Skincare continuing to lead in overall volume. At the same time, monthly Beauty buyers are up about 250% and active Beauty sellers have roughly tripled, driving momentum across the marketplace.
That growth is increasingly brand-driven. Brands like Sephora, Dior, and P.Louise are leading by total sales, while fragrance names like Tom Ford, Creed, and Bond No. 9 are seeing strong demand. Shows featuring branded inventory generate roughly 43% higher sales per show and nearly 30% higher average order value, and brand-specific searches convert at higher rates – clear signals of strong purchase intent.
This dynamic is especially powerful in Beauty, where trust and product knowledge matter. Brands give buyers confidence, and live selling brings them to life, giving sellers the opportunity to educate, answer questions, and build trust in real time.
How to use it: Add brand attributes to your listings and call out brands clearly during your shows. Lean into recognizable names when you have them, and take time to explain products live – when buyers recognize and understand what you’re selling, they’re more likely to convert.
Happy Selling!
– Whatnot Product Team
