IoT Case Study: Building weDIY - A Thriving Online Marketplace for Handmade Items

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The online handmade products industry in Germany has seen a significant surge in growth over the last two decades, with the eCommerce revenue in the DIY sector expected to reach US$55.39 billion by 2023. This growth is largely attributed to creative DIY online marketplaces like Etsy and weDIY. However, creating such a platform that caters to the unique needs of creative designers and sellers, while also providing a seamless shopping experience for consumers, presents a significant challenge. Erkan Eroglu, the founder of weDIY, envisioned a platform that would serve as a virtual hub for designers, artists, and creative individuals to exchange ideas, interact with sellers, rate and purchase products, and find inspiration. The challenge was to create a platform that would bridge the gap between creative individuals and buyers passionate about acquiring handmade products and value the associated benefits such as environmental sustainability and superior quality.

weDIY is an online community marketplace based in Germany, designed for creative designers or sellers to market their unique handmade items directly to the consumer. The platform was envisioned by its founder, Erkan Eroglu, as a virtual place for designers, artists, and creative individuals to come together, exchange ideas, interact with sellers, rate and purchase products, and find inspiration. The platform offers a diverse range of items, including vintage products that are at least 20 years old, and allows sellers to personalize their storefronts. The primary goal of weDIY is to offer a dedicated platform for Germany’s creative do-it-yourselfers to showcase their handmade items to a wide and curious audience.

To address this challenge, Yo!Kart, a customizable and scalable eCommerce platform, was used to build weDIY. The platform provided separate storefronts for individual sellers to personalize and list/sell their handcrafted items in the marketplace. This allowed for a diverse range of items to be available, including vintage products that are at least 20 years old. The platform also facilitated interaction between buyers and sellers, allowing them to form regular groups for interaction, advertise their products without any cost, and even execute collaborative campaigns with other shops. The primary goal of the marketplace was to offer a dedicated platform for Germany’s creative do-it-yourselfers to showcase their handmade items to a wide and curious audience. The solution provided by Yo!Kart successfully fulfilled Erkan’s vision of building an online handmade products marketplace.

• The implementation of Yo!Kart's eCommerce platform resulted in a visually appealing and user-friendly marketplace that was well-received by both sellers and buyers. The platform facilitated seamless interaction between buyers and sellers, allowing them to form regular groups for interaction, advertise their products without any cost, and even execute collaborative campaigns with other shops. The platform also allowed for a diverse range of items to be available, including vintage products that are at least 20 years old. The successful implementation of the platform not only fulfilled Erkan’s vision of building an online handmade products marketplace but also resulted in positive feedback from its customers, further motivating the Yo!Kart team to pursue excellence.

• The eCommerce revenue in the DIY sector in Germany is estimated to reach US$55.39 billion by 2023.
• The market is expected to exhibit a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.13% from 2023 to 2028.