Exploring the Online DIY Market: Overview, ManoMano’s Growth, and More

The DIY industry has witnessed a remarkable surge in popularity due to several compelling reasons.

Firstly, cost-efficiency stands out as a primary driver, as customers increasingly recognize the substantial savings associated with DIY projects when compared to hiring professionals. Secondly, the increasing environmental awareness among individuals has led to a surge in the DIY market as it aligns with sustainability goals. Furthermore, the DIY platforms have made it easier for do-it-yourself enthusiasts to seek guidance, share their projects, and connect with like-minded individuals. As a result, the DIY market is flourishing with multiple key players experiencing continuous growth.

ManoMano is one such online DIY platform that has been fulfilling the evolving customer demands. The platform provides a diverse range of DIY products addressing the necessities around home improvement, gardening, and more. Additionally, It has also built a space for experts and enthusiasts to share their creations, seek inspiration, and get advice from seasoned artisans.

So, if you are also an entrepreneur who wants to set your foot in this lucrative market, this blog is for you. Below, we will discuss how you can build a DIY marketplace like ManoMano.

What is ManoMano?

ManoMano is a specialized marketplace for do-it-yourself (DIY), gardening, and home improvement products founded in France in 2013 by Christian Raisson and Philippe de Chanville. The idea of ManoMano was born from the increased need of customers for convenient online shopping of DIY products. As a result, these two co-founders forecasted this as an opportunity to build a secure platform, ManoMano. It acts as an intermediary for the customers – enabling them to access a wide range of products anytime anywhere without any geographic or location constraints.

At present, ManoMano is at the forefront of the online do-it-yourself market with 5,000 sellers, 16 million products, and 50 million monthly visits. It has established its presence in 6 countries including France, Italy, Belgium, UK, Spain, and Germany. ManoMano also hosts a community of DIYers where advice can be sought or shared with one another, recreating the in-store experiences.

Growth Journey of ManoMano In Numbers

ManoMano has gained significant growth since its inception, achieving its set objectives. It has won many awards including Best Startup – IMC in the year 2014. In 2017, ManoMano announced a funding round, raising €60 million backed by General Atlantic. Another funding of €110 million was raised in April 2019. Further, in the year 2019 alone, ManoMano raised €600 million as the gross merchandise value.

ManoMano funds are backed by many including Temasek, Dragoneer Investment Group, Pito Capital, Eurazeo, and more. In July 2021, the company raised a total of $355 million in a Series F round led by Dragoneer Investment. Further, it has acquired a total funding of $699M to date with a valuation of $2.6 billion.

How Does ManoMano Work?

ManoMano is a vertical marketplace that provides a tailored ecosystem to a well-defined target audience. The marketplace works with third-party retailers and has its own ManoMano fulfillment services to manage shipments from retailers to customers. Moreover, ManoMano works exclusively with sellers that can meet the delivery service standards along with product reliability and quality. Before the sellers register themselves on ManoMano, they request an account through the ManoMano website. Further, ManoMano decides if the applicant meets all the seller criteria to get registered.

Besides, ManoMano introduced a B2B platform, ManoManoPro in 2019 with the aim of selling directly to tradespeople such as plumbers, electricians, masons, and more. It is already contributing 10% of total DIY sales in France. DIY contractors or professionals can register themselves on the website or via the ManoMano Pro app. In addition, the expert team of ManoManoPro is always available via online chat, calls, and email to provide the required assistance. ManoMano Pro currently operates in Italy, France, Spain, and the UK. Furthermore, its app has reached a total of 500,000 downloads so far on both iOS and Android devices.

What Makes ManoMano a Popular Marketplace?

ManoMano is not only a go-to place to buy DIY supplies. In fact, it is a marketplace that combines a wide product range with valuable advice from DIY enthusiasts and experts to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Below are some key aspects that make ManoMano a unique DIY marketplace:

Huge Customer Base

ManoMano has a huge customer base with 10 million active customers. This benefits the sellers to reach a potential audience who are interested in the products. As a result,  they can easily sell their products and increase sales.

Wide Product Selection

Be it plumbing supplies, electronics appliances, garden equipment, or construction materials, ManoMano has an extensive range of products to choose from which makes it an ideal destination for DIYers to browse and shop for their favorite products.

Delivery Speed

Quick delivery has become a vital criterion in the era of eCommerce. Customers expect 1-2 hours or a maximum of 1-2 days delivery of product. Here, the customer expectations in the DIY sector are no different. ManoMano meets this demand with its fulfillment service introduced in 2018, offering one or two-day delivery options to choose from.

Good Quality Products

The customers are always willing to pay more for good quality products. Here, ManoMano is known for providing good quality products at a competitive pricing. As we have already discussed above, ManoMano works only with sellers that meet the quality and reliability criteria.

Community Support

ManoMano has built a community of DIY experts and enthusiasts known as Manodvisors. The users can discuss, share their experiences, and seek professional advice or assistance. This support network builds trust among independent DIYers and motivates them to tackle their DIY projects with ease.

Excellent Customer Service

Building strong and trustworthy relationships with customers both pre and post-sales is essential for any marketplace and ManoMano just rules this. The number of online conversations initiated to date has nearly reached 2.3 million. In addition to providing a wide range of DIY products, ManoMano addresses customer queries via chat. Even the chat medium has become their focal point for customer engagement. Nearly, 85% of contacts are handled via chat messages and many visitors use it to make product choices for their DIY projects. As a result, it increases both customer satisfaction and sales altogether.

How Does ManoMano Make Money?

Overall, ManoMano generates revenue via a combination of three main components: sales, subscriptions, and listings.

• Sellers are charged a monthly subscription fee of EUR 100.00 to sell on the ManoMano marketplace. Also, the fee comprises commission rates of 15-25% on each sale made, varying as per the product category. No registration fee is charged.

• The marketplace charges retailers a fee for using the ManoMano fulfillment service.
• Also, retailers have to pay a fee to use ManoMano’s paid listing for their product promotions.

ManoMano’s revenue reached €1.2B in 2020 with a 240% YoY year-on-year sales surge.

How Can Yo!Kart Help Launch a DIY Marketplace Like ManoMano?

Yo!Kart is a standalone and customizable eCommerce marketplace software designed to launch multivendor online platforms quickly and easily. Yo!Kart’s enhanced capabilities like vendor management, product catalog management, multicart checkout, and so on enable sellers to sell their products hassle-free, buyers to shop conveniently, and admin(s) to manage the eCommerce business efficiently.

In addition, Yo!Kart has advanced SEO and marketing tools that help increase the DIY marketplace’s visibility. Plus, Yo!Kart supports third-party integrations that help to streamline marketplace operations. All in all, the software is equipped with all the essential features required to build a DIY marketplace like ManoMano.

Clic&Pick is one example of a DIY marketplace based in France that is powered by Yo!Kart. It specializes in DIY plumbing, sanitary, and heating products and has been catering to the changing demands of customers and suppliers in France.

Conclusion

The online DIY market is expanding globally and one great example is ManoMano. It started in 2013 and has garnered 60% of sales to date in France itself. Its success clearly defines the potential of tapping into the eCommerce DIY market for newcomers.

Hence, to capture growth in this specific segment, it is essential to create a marketplace that resonates with their evolving expectations and recreates in-store experiences. Hope this blog is equipped with all the insights and inspiration you need on your journey to creating a marketplace like ManoMano.