Kopenhagen Fur Launches First Ever Digitalized Auction
To accommodate the current constraints on most movement across borders, while still catering to customer needs, Kopenhagen Fur now introduces a new and digitalized auction, making sure that customers will still be able to buy skins at the April auction.
During the last two decades, Kopenhagen Fur has kept a close eye on the technological development of digital auctions. All digital auction solutions available differ significantly from Kopenhagen Fur’s auction, for example that the highest bidder can be multiple customers at the same time. But after weeks of testing and re-programming the digital auction is now ready. To Kopenhagen Fur it has been important to have customers on board to test and comment on the digital solutions to make sure to create a digital solution as similar to the real thing as possible.
“Our customers have been positive in regard to the auction taking a new form and after customer testing we are all relieved to see overall positive responses.” Chief Auctioneer, Per Knudsen says.
“When thinking about our customers’ great appreciation for our normal auction the task was simple. Create a digital auction that in all areas possible is equivalent to the auction our customers know and feel safe with.” Chief Auctioneer of Kopenhagen Fur, Per Knudsen continues.
The digital auction site is now live and running. Here, customers are met with the sales item at hand including description, size, colour, quality, purity, hair length and additional information if any. On the screen, the starting prize and number of skins is information available at all times. At the same time all customers can see the bids that come in. Slight lapses in time due to the many nationalities following the auction at the same time is not an issue, as measures have been taken to make sure that all bids are accounted for.
The auctioneers follow the bids coming in and if multiple customers enter the same bid, the auctioneer chooses one. A normal auction day has a set programme, but not knowing how much is possible to go through in one day it is decided that the auction goes on for 10 hours every day, and what is not auctioned today will be auctioned tomorrow.
To make the transition from a physical auction to a digital auction as uncomplicated as possible a website was established, offering customers training in the digital setup with videos and web seminars. On the website is too a presentation of all Kopenhagen Fur’s show lots.
“We are looking forward to be able to welcome our customers back to the physical auction. Fingers crossed for this being in June.” says Per Knudsen.