Online marketplace focuses on mid-century design

Bringing a sense of style to the Craigslist model, new online marketplace Lushpad aims to connect buyers and sellers of mid-century design. By taking users straight to what they’re looking for rather than having them trawl through columns of irrelevant goods, the Canadian website hopes to capture a lucrative niche. As the company’s target customers are aesthetically sensitive types, they should feel more at home on Lushpad’s well-designed site than looking through loud ads on eBay or perusing Craigslist’s messageboards. Sellers have also commented on listing prices, which beat eBay by being free for items under USD 250, and USD 8-12 for more expensive items. Described as part gallery, part auction house and part design magazine, the site aims to build a resource to draw customers to the site and keep them coming back, by generating content about design classics, profiling designers, architects and manufacturers and reviewing relevant books. Besides attracting enough buyers and sellers, the key challenge for Lushpad and other new marketplaces targeting niche audiences is to maintain a strong focus. Which means moderating and curating, and rejecting any items that won’t appeal to the target audience. Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen