Evaluating only Percentil’s profile at its peak — without knowing the outcome — the model ranked Competition as the #1 likely cause. Documented cause: Unit economics.
Key Events Timeline
FUNDING
Raises €3M Series A. Strong early traction in Spain.
SHUTDOWN
Operations cease after failing to raise Series B. Logistics unit economics unsolvable.
Full Analysis
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Documented cause
Percentil built a curated secondhand children's clothing marketplace in Spain, raising €5M and achieving strong early traction. The core unit economics problem: each transaction required photographing, categorizing, storing, and shipping individual low-value items (average basket €20-30). The logistics cost per item was too close to the item value to achieve positive margins at any realistic scale. The company shut down in 2019 after failing to raise Series B.
Lesson
“Secondhand marketplaces with sub-€40 average baskets face a structural logistics trap. The unit economics only work if the seller handles logistics (C2C), not the platform (managed). Percentil chose managed — and paid for it.”
Failure anatomy
Collapse type
Silent Shutdown
🐌 LOW
Hype cycle
None
Moat type
Community
Fatal mistake
Unit Economics
Research tags
SpainEcommerceSecondhandLogistics
FAQ
Why did Percentil fail?
Percentil, a Spanish secondhand kids' clothing marketplace, shut down in 2019 after failing to solve the unit economics of managing logistics for low-value items averaging €20-30 per transaction.