Seller Spotlight
Smartthreads
From a single apartment show to a 35-person live shopping operation
+350K Items Sold
|
+120K Followers
|
+1500 Hours Livestreamed
|
⭐️ 4.9 Rating
|
+80K Reviews
|
+350K Items Sold | +120K Followers | +1500 Hours Livestreamed | ⭐️ 4.9 Rating | +80K Reviews |
Meet the Seller
Ari launched Smartthreads on Whatnot in 2023, quickly finding success offering premium apparel and clothing paired with an energetic, entertainment-first hosting style.
Today, Smartthreads operates with a 35-person team, running daily shows across multiple Whatnot shops.
Prior to Whatnot
Having worked across retail, styling, recruiting, and sales, Ari was familiar with growing fashion businesses and brands.
He first heard about live selling from a friend in 2023, with the idea of mixing sales with entertainment immediately catching his attention..
After watching some Whatnot shows, he saw the potential to scale quickly, he partnered with a friend who had supply connections to launch their first show.
“The most important rule is to be a good host. Be friendly, make your buyers feel comfortable, and don’t be too pushy.”
- Ari, Founder, Smartthreads
When considering Whatnot
Entering live selling with no prior experience was daunting, especially as he’d be running the business from his apartment.
While comfortable with being on camera, he worried about scaling inventory, fulfilling orders, and making sure his buyers had a great experience.
Given he didn’t have a strong social media following, he wasn’t sure how he’d be able to grow on Whatnot starting with zero followers.
This was especially concerning as there were already large fashion sellers on Whatnot—he wasn’t sure how to stand out.
“If you want to build a business and you’ve got the inventory, there’s nothing stopping you from being able to sell 24 hours a day. That’s all there is to it.”
- Ari, Founder, Smartthreads
His early shows were modest, but momentum picked up—within six months, he was fulfilling thousands of orders.
Hosting became his edge—energy, personality, and daily consistency helped build his following quickly.
Scaling operations was essential: what started in an apartment expanded into a warehouse operation and eventually a 35-person team.
As he grew on Whatnot, he began tapping into audiences with different tastes—allowing him to launch additional shops specializing in other categories.
Growing on Whatnot
After launching in July 2023, Ari doubled down on increasing his live hours—knowing that consistency and time on air were key to driving sales.
“Live selling can introduce your brand to entirely new audiences. On Whatnot, buyers in one region may recognize certain labels that are virtually unknown elsewhere.”
Ari, Founder, Smartthreads