How Razor took a failed idea with potential and turned it into a reality, making Market of Mums the ultimate social selling platform for parents to buy and sell their children’s unwanted clothes and toys.
It’s your little ones birthday and that top-of-the-range toy, doll’s house or ride-on car costs a couple of hundred pounds. Then there’s the party to think about – and the outfit that goes with it, not to mention an entertainer and forking out for food. Birthday’s can get expensive, if you let them. The pressure on parents is real, and never more so than during special occasions. Being able to find the right outfit or the perfect toy to brighten their day without breaking the bank is becoming an essential part of being a parent. But what’s even better, is being able to declutter once your little ones have grown up – or out of – some of those favourites, enabling you to clear some space, help other parents, and make a little extra money to splurge on a family day out.
When Ben and Tom Richardson’s sister had a baby they spotted an opportunity to do exactly this. In true entrepreneurial fashion, they set out to create a platform that was specifically for parents. The first attempt didn’t go according to plan – the platform was built affordably offshore, but whilst it looked ok on the surface, it couldn’t cope with the volume of users, and crumbled as a result. The technology didn’t work, but what they did see was proof that there was a market for the platform, it was just time to get the technology right.
To turn potential into reality, and ensure the platform was a success it needed more. Highly experienced professionals were recruited to form a team that incorporated product, marketing and technology. This core team included: Julian Kynaston, Founder, Propaganda; Jay Parker, CEO, Gym King; Marc and Julie Hardenberg of Angel Care; Ben & Tom Richardson; Ex-Love Islander and mum Cally Jane Beech and of course, Razor.
Razor took the lead and began to reimagine what this platform could be. Every new challenge Razor undertakes starts with a Discovery, allowing them to build a shared understanding of what needs to be achieved.
This process was followed taking into consideration learnings from the original attempt and the drive to challenge the status quo. It drives out solutions that, in isolation, could never have been conceived. It brings technical experts together with the core team, and allows Razor to quickly capture, validate and refine ideas. Working closely with the team at Propaganda to build a brand, the Market of Mums platform was re-born, ready to take on the masses and this time, work.
The Market of Mums marketing website
After an initial soft launch in January 2019 the platform reached over 35,000 social followers in the first week, with over 50,000 downloads within the first seven weeks of launch. It is now on course to reach 250,000 downloads by October 2019.
Currently, Market of Mums has 13,800 monthly users, with 4,210 users accessing the platform weekly, and 966 using it daily. Over 8,500 products are added on a monthly basis, with these figures growing daily.
expected by October 2019
monthly users
products added monthly
Our CEO, Jamie Hinton (3rd from left) and Andrew Gunn, Head of Build (far right) at the Market of Mums launch party
Having been featured in national press across the UK, Market of Mums is fast becoming the ultimate social selling platform for parents, enabling mums and dads to quickly and easily buy and sell their children’s unwanted clothes and toys. It also enables parents to declutter, make money and grab a bargain in the time it takes to change a nappy. It’s become a firm favourite with celebrity parents including Ferne McCann, Billie Faiers, Emma McVey and Chloe Sims, as well as Cally Jane Beech. Developed by parents, for parents, Market of Mums helps take the pain away and makes shopping for little ones easy.