BuyWander Moves Headquarters to Kent

BuyWander Inc., an online auction retailer founded in Spokane Valley, is relocating its headquarters to Kent, Washington. The company cites a need to access a larger pool of talent in the region’s retail sector as the primary driver for the move. While the corporate base shifts to the West Side, the Spokane Valley facility will remain the company’s largest and most active operation, handling the majority of its daily volume.

Spokane remains the primary hub. The company will keep a significant footprint in Spokane Valley, where 65 of its 325 full-time employees are based. Jordan Allen, a co-founder and Spokane native, says the Inland Northwest continues to serve as a critical testing ground for the company’s technology and operations. The Spokane facility produces about 50% more volume than any of the company’s other locations.

“This is our epicenter of where we test, where we learn,” Allen says. He adds that the decision to move was difficult. “It’s bittersweet. I grew up in Spokane. I’m a Spokane patriot.”

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Allen notes that the Seattle area offers access to executives from major retailers like Amazon, Costco, REI, and Starbucks. He argues that proximity to these networks is essential for the company’s next stage of growth. “If you want to build an e-commerce giant, you go to Seattle,” he says. Relocating near Seattle gives executives greater opportunities to develop relationships in person rather than relying primarily on virtual meetings.

BuyWander is expanding into more metropolitan markets while building out its executive team. The company now operates in eight U.S. cities, including new locations in Denver and Chicago. A location in Minneapolis is expected to open in early October.

The business model centers on what Allen calls “misfit inventory,” including retail returns, excess inventory, overstock, and out-of-season merchandise. The company auctions these products online with each item starting at $1 and carrying no reserve price. Customers pick up their purchases on-site rather than having them shipped.

Allen says the company auctions between 3,000 and 5,000 items daily in Spokane and between 30,000 and 35,000 items throughout its entire network. The company has more than 150,000 registered users who bid on those products. He describes the current market trend as “e-commerce auction hysteria,” noting that consumers are increasingly looking for ways to get products without paying full price.

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Although Allen declines to disclose the company’s revenue, he says it continues trending upward. He says the company has hired Laura Sasser as chief operating officer. Sasser brings about 25 years of industry experience and an understanding of discount retail and profitable operations. The company also added Daniel Kiepfer to oversee data and artificial intelligence initiatives. Improving the company’s use of data will give its leadership greater visibility into operations and allow it to make decisions more quickly, he says.

BuyWander has also hired Roger Ling, the company’s first full-time marketing hire, to work on branding and identifying opportunities to improve how the company presents itself to consumers. The company expects to roll out a revamped platform and messaging over the next several months. Abu Marcose, who previously worked on warehouse and logistics technology at Amazon, has been hired to help develop technology to improve inventory movement between warehouses and determine where products should be sent.

Over the next year, BuyWander plans to complete its leadership team, improve technology, and add supply partners. Allen says the company’s goal is to operate in every major U.S. city within three years. Within five years, he wants BuyWander to become the country’s most trusted marketplace for e-commerce and retail returns.