Whym Marketplace

Co-Founder & COO

Building on Petalfox's initial success, the brand transformed into Whym, a more expansive platform that broadened its offerings from just flowers to an extensive selection of lifestyle products. This evolution was propelled by customers' enthusiasm for buying a variety of products in the same straightforward manner they bought flowers from Petalfox, reflecting a trend where women allocate 33% of their income to self-care purchases. This shift also responded to critical industry challenges, such as the high average cart abandonment rate of 70-80% and growing weariness over subscription models.

Petalfox's foundation was built on the insight that women, who make up 80% of the $8 billion flower purchase market, often buy flowers for themselves. This understanding led to a customer journey that capitalized on the underserved self-purchase category, leveraging the highly consumable nature of flowers and their impulse price point to build brand trust through self-care.

The expansion from Petalfox to Whym was driven by data revealing that 91% of customers who signed up for flowers were also interested in an additional 3-5 categories, such as coffee, wine, natural care, sexual wellness, sweet treats, cute desk supplies, fragrance, and CBD. The team also noticed a ever-growing issue that resulted in a fragmented commerce spectrum; consumers discovered products on social media but faced friction when trying to purchase due to overwhelming choices, account creation barriers, and subscription fatigue.

Addressing these challenges, Whym adopted a strategy focusing on conversational commerce, facilitated by SMS, to reduce friction and foster a more personal shopping experience by offering weekly curated products through text. Whym's approach to market dynamics showcased the power of direct, personalized communication via text, achieving a deep engagement with consumers who sought convenience and a curated selection of lifestyle products.