AHA ACQUIRES FELLOW ONLINE RETAILER KAUFMANN MERCANTILE

Online luxury marketplace AHA.com has acquired online retail site Kaufmann Mercantile. After the acquisition Kaufmann Mercantile will continue to operate under their name on both Kaufmann-Mercantile.com and the AHA site (www.ahalife.com/kaufmann-mercantile).

Both companies share the same goal of finding the most interesting lifestyle products from independent designers and artisans around the world, and specifically target the millennial and Generation X demographics, according to Sachin Devand, the co-founder, president, and CTO of AHA.

As a result of the acquisition, Sebastian Kaufmann, founder of Kaufmann Mercantile, will join AHA as chief curation officer. In this newly created role, Kaufmann will lead the editorial content, merchandising strategies and visual communications across AHA’s distinct messaging touch points.

“Kaufmann Mercantile and AHA started operations around the same time, and I’ve been following the company ever since,” said Kaufmann “By combining the best of each of our companies we can build an even more striking experience and robust online destination for the best of the best that talented makers around the world have to offer.”

Adds Shauna Mei, founder and CEO of AHA, “We are at a very interesting junction in the e-commerce landscape right now where we’ve seen certain business models come and go and while others thrive. At AHA, we’ve always believed in the long-term sustainability of the marketplace business model and the extreme importance of trusted curation and authentic story-telling to nurture a sustainable and loyal customer base. We are very excited to continue building upon this mission to our now over 1 million dedicated and inspired membership base.”