Thrilling (company)

Thrilling is an online marketplace for vintage clothing, apparel and home goods. The company partners with independent vintage and secondhand clothing stores that use the platform to list, sell, and ship inventory.[1][2] Thrilling was founded by Shilla Kim-Parker and Brad Mallow in 2018,[3] In 2021, the company received $8.47 million in series A funding.[4][5]

Thrilling
TypePrivate
IndustryVintage clothing
Founded2018 (2018)
FounderShilla Kim-Parker
Brad Mallow
Headquarters
Los Angeles, California
,
U.S.
Key people
Shilla Kim-Parker (CEO)
Brad Mallow (CTO)
Websiteshopthrilling.com

Thrilling has partnered with Banana Republic, Academy Award nominated costume designer Ruth E. Carter, and offers a studio service that uses the company's network of stores to find authentic period clothing for film and television productions.[6][7] In 2020, Thrilling partnered with stylist Zerina Akers of "Black Owned Everything" to curate an online collection of vintage items from black-owned stores.[8]

As of January 2022, Thrilling hosted listings from more than 900 vintage stores in approximately 200 cities[9] and planned to use series A funding to improve technology such as partner store analytics, partially automating the item listing process, and adding personalization for customers shopping on the site.[10][11]

In May 2022, Thrilling introduced a home goods section that allows thrift shop owners to list and sell vintage home decor items.[12]

Funding

The company raised $100,000 in seed funding in 2018 followed by a $2.1 million seed funding round that closed in July 2019. In a 2021 Series A round led by Prelude Ventures, Thrilling raised $8.5 million.[13] Investors include Prelude Ventures, Elemental Excelerator, Defy, Urban US, Phoenix Rising, Closed Loop, and Congruent Ventures.[14][15]

Business model

Thrilling's primary competitors include the handmade and vintage craft site Etsy, Etsy's Peer-to-peer social E-commerce subsidiary Depop, and the peer-to-peer sites Poshmark and Tradesy.[16][17][18][19] Most competitors rely on peer-to-peer sales and social media-influenced features,[20] but Thrilling sellers must be Brick and mortar thrift and vintage stores.[21] The company's social media presence and customer support via social media remains less than that of primary competitors and the site lacks customer reviews in large enough numbers to provide adequate ratings from some service categories.[22][23]

The Thrilling platform allows store owners to list inventory online and handles sale, shipping and returns for a 10% commission.[24] During the first two months of the COVID-19 pandemic these commissions were waived to allow shop owners to maximize income.[25][26] TheThrilling platform contains technology to assist shop owners in digitizing large inventories, including the ability to use photography to detect an item's size and recommended price.[27][28]

Services
  • Vintage Studios Services: Thrilling provides access to its network of vintage stores for costume designers looking to purchase or rent clothing for film and television productions. Costume designer Ruth E. Carter is the service's first brand ambassador and will use the service on 2022 productions.[29][30][31][32]
  • Thrilling On Demand: In New York City and Los Angeles, Thrilling offers Vintage Assistant who will photograph and list inventory items for $3 per listing.[33]

Partnerships and collections
  • Zerina Akers: Thrilling partnered with Akers and Black Owned Everything to curate a collection of the best items from black-owned stores.[34]
  • Ruth E. Carter: Carter served as brand ambassador for Thrilling's Vintage Studios Service.[35][36][37]https://www.nylon.com/fashion/thrilling-black-owned-vintage-collection-black-history-month
  • Banana Republic: worked with Thrilling to track down classic Banana Republic designs from the 80s and 90s and inspire the company's modern collection.[38][39] All proceeds from Thrilling's Banana Republic brand collection go to the vintage stores.[40]
  • Goodwill Industries: Thrilling partnered with Goodwill and Janelle Monáe's stylist Ali Mandelkorn[41] to curate a collection of clothing from Goodwill SoCal. The first collection included pieces donated by Mel B[42] and Tatyana Ali.[43][44]
  • Mona May: Mona May worked with Thrilling to create a 90s-inspired vintage collection.[45][46]

References
  1. "Meet the CEO striving to make vintage, second-hand clothing as popular as fast fashion". Fortune. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  2. "The Co-Founder Of This Online Thift Store Is All About Sustainability". Essence. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  3. "Shilla Kim-Parker: Making Vintage Online Shopping Easy". Lifewire. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  4. "Thrilling". tracxn.com. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  5. Giacomazzo, Bernadette (2021-05-05). "Thrilling, A Black- & Asian-Owned Secondhand Marketplace, Raises $8.5M In Series A Funding". AfroTech. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  6. Giacomazzo, Bernadette (2021-05-05). "Thrilling, A Black- & Asian-Owned Secondhand Marketplace, Raises $8.5M In Series A Funding". AfroTech. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  7. McKenzie, Lesley (2022-01-13). "Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter Teams Up With Online Vintage Marketplace Thrilling on Studio Services Program". Variety. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  8. Bobb, Brooke (11 December 2020). "Stylist Zerina Akers and Thrilling Are Putting Black-Owned Vintage Shops Front and Center". Vogue. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  9. Julia Gall (2022-01-13). "Online Vintage Platform Thrilling and Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter Launch Studio Services Program". Marie Claire Magazine. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  10. "Thrilling Rides a Wave of Vintage Interest to Get Mom-and-Pop Thrift Shops Online". dot.LA. 2021-05-11. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  11. Giacomazzo, Bernadette (2021-05-05). "Thrilling, A Black- & Asian-Owned Secondhand Marketplace, Raises $8.5M In Series A Funding". AfroTech. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  12. "Black-Owned Marketplace 'Thrilling' Launches Vintage Home Goods Collection • EBONY". EBONY. 2022-05-18. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  13. "Thrilling Rides a Wave of Vintage Interest to Get Mom-and-Pop Thrift Shops Online". dot.LA. 2021-05-11. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  14. "Thrilling". tracxn.com. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  15. Giacomazzo, Bernadette (2021-05-05). "Thrilling, A Black- & Asian-Owned Secondhand Marketplace, Raises $8.5M In Series A Funding". AfroTech. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  16. Bogo, Rachel; Palermo, Jaclyn; Stiegman, Kelsey (2021-10-28). "Black-Owned Vintage Shop BLK MKT Stocks Unique Pieces of Black History". Seventeen. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  17. Eric (2022-03-17). "70 Best Online Thrift Stores of 2022". The Sustainable Living Guide. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  18. "How Stylists and Fashion Editors Find Special Designer Pieces No One Else Has". InStyle. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  19. Planeteer, The Pretty (2021-05-14). "The 30 Best Online Thrift Stores, Vintage Shops & Second-Hand Marketplaces". The Pretty Planeteer. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  20. Lorenz, Taylor (2019-06-13). "Why Teens Are Selling Clothes Out of Their Closets". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  21. "SECONDHAND, FIRST PRIORITY". Los Angeles Business Journal. 2019-03-21. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  22. smart.reviews. "Rate shopthrilling.com on smart.reviews". Smart.Reviews. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
  23. "Thrilling Review | Shopthrilling.com Ratings & Customer Reviews – Aug '22". Knoji. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
  24. "Online Vintage Clothing Marketplace Adds IT, Support Services for Retailers". Los Angeles Business Journal. 2021-10-25. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  25. Grechko, Irina. "Meet Thrilling, An Online Marketplace That Supports Small Vintage Stores". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  26. "Thrilling: the resale startup supporting small business owners and brands alike". Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  27. Bobila, Maria. "Thrilling Is Your Newest Shopping Destination To Score Vintage Fashion". Nylon. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  28. "Breakout eCommerce Brand Thrilling Meets PXM Pioneer Akeneo". Akeneo. 2021-07-01. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  29. McKenzie, Lesley (2022-01-13). "Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter Teams Up With Online Vintage Marketplace Thrilling on Studio Services Program". Variety. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  30. "The Vintage Studio Service Program From Thrilling Partners With Ruth E. Carter For Costume Designers". Global Circulate. 2022-01-14. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  31. Feb 01, Hillary Crosley Coker. "Where Do Black Women Fit Into the Vintage-Clothing Revolution?". InStyle. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  32. "Vintage e-tailer Thrilling wants to solve Hollywood's clothing waste problem". Glossy. 2022-01-18. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  33. "Online Vintage Clothing Marketplace Adds IT, Support Services for Retailers | Los Angeles Business Journal". labusinessjournal.com. 25 October 2021. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  34. Bobb, Brooke (11 December 2020). "Stylist Zerina Akers and Thrilling Are Putting Black-Owned Vintage Shops Front and Center". Vogue. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  35. McKenzie, Lesley (2022-01-13). "Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter Teams Up With Online Vintage Marketplace Thrilling on Studio Services Program". Variety. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  36. "The Vintage Studio Service Program From Thrilling Partners With Ruth E. Carter For Costume Designers". Global Circulate. 2022-01-14. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  37. Feb 01, Hillary Crosley Coker. "Where Do Black Women Fit Into the Vintage-Clothing Revolution?". InStyle. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  38. "The Banana Republic Comeback Has Begun!". GQ. 2021-06-17. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  39. Giacomazzo, Bernadette (2021-05-05). "Thrilling, A Black- & Asian-Owned Secondhand Marketplace, Raises $8.5M In Series A Funding". AfroTech. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  40. "Thrilling Partners With Banana Republic To Provide Vintage Shopping Experience". Essence. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  41. Roshitsh, Kaley (2019-03-15). "First E-comm Thrift Shop 'Thrilling' Announces Stylist Collaboration". WWD. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  42. Roshitsh, Kaley (2019-03-15). "First E-comm Thrift Shop 'Thrilling' Announces Stylist Collaboration". WWD. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  43. Roshitsh, Kaley (2019-03-15). "First E-comm Thrift Shop 'Thrilling' Announces Stylist Collaboration". WWD. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  44. Weinberg, Lindsay (2019-03-15). "Janelle Monae's Stylist Alexandra Mandelkorn Curates Goodwill Collection". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  45. Tietjen, Alexa (2020-09-22). "Mona May Curates 500-Piece Collection for Thrilling". WWD. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  46. Charuza, Nikita (2020-09-22). "Clueless's Costume Designer Has Curated an Affordable Vintage Collection Inspired by the '90s". POPSUGAR Fashion. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
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