Go Banana - the UK’s first online marketplace for tradespeople and DIYers
by Startacus Admin
The lowdown on Go Banana, the online platform making it easier for both the trade and the public to source, compare prices and buy building supplies.
Whether you are a builder, plumber, carpenter, electrician, painter-decorator, or just a DIY enthusiast, you need tools and supplies. These aren’t exactly difficult to source, and you will likely already have your favourite shortlist of suppliers.
But are you getting the best prices for the best products?
You might not have time to trawl through a dozen different suppliers to compare their prices for the same product, and so end up paying more than you need to. Wouldn’t it be useful to be able to have the same ability to compare products and prices from different suppliers as online shoppers do with everyday products?
Cardiff-based startup Go Banana is the UK’s first online marketplace for tradespeople and DIYers. The platform lists tens of thousands of building supplies from trusted sources, keeping prices reasonable and competitive, and saving customers up to 35% on purchases.
Just as anyone can go onto a site like Amazon and see numerous options for that pewter medieval tankard they want from different sellers, at different prices, tradespeople can look for the best deal on that pack of 500 bricks they need, or save £50 on bath taps by getting that one that barely looks any different to the fancy one (we may have spent too much time looking through all the building supplies ourselves). This method of opening up the possibilities for tradespeople also means that independent merchants see more support, because rather than hoping that their website will get the attention of local builders or plumbers or the like, they can list their products on Go Banana and have them just as much visibility as the bigger suppliers.
In March, Go Banana was announced as one of Tech Nation’s Rising Star’s 4.0 finalists. Although they didn’t go on to win, making it to the finals is an impressive achievement to add to their resume. In April, the startup announced that it had closed a £500,000 seed round led by the Development Bank of Wales and BSKG Holdings. This funding will be used to drive their further growth, developing their tools and acquiring new customers and suppliers.
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Published on: 21st April 2022
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