Hammer.Py

History

1999: Start of service

The Молоток.ру Internet auction appeared in 1999 and became the first project of such format.

In 2000 the NetBridge company headed then by Yury Milner became its owner.

In 2001 NetBridge merged with Port.ru (owned Mail.ru service) and was renamed into Mail.ru.

In 2007 the British company QXL Ricardo purchased 30% of "Молоток.ру" at Mail.ru Group. Then experts estimated the company at $5 −10 one million on condition of existence of advertizing support from Mail.ru.

In 2007 QXL Ricardo was renamed into Tradus, and in 2008 it was purchased by Naspers.

2012: Sales growth for 30%

In 2012 turnover of "Молоток.ру", by data, which provide Vedomosti made 3 billion rubles.

Annual sales growth for 30% - in 2012 on a resource 4.5 million lots were sold. Objects of art and antiques (17%) and collecting objects (44%) were the most sold goods, further there are electronics (4%), phones and an accessory (9%), clothes and footwear (4%).

Increase in number of the goods sold in a year is observed against the background of stability of audience of the platform: the number of the registered users did not change in comparison with 2011 and remained at the level of 3.5 million people. The daily audience of a resource makes the second year in a row more than 250 thousand unique users. Growth of qualitative indexes is observed: the average number of orders for the Hammer.Py in day grew by 20% and was 12 thousand lots a day. Platform turnover for 2012 was equal to record 3 billion rubles.

Increase in number of the purchases made on the Hammer.Py in 2012 is explained by saturation of the platform offers: on average in day here nearly 2 million goods are offered for sale. In comparison with 2011 this indicator grew four times. The number of lots which were offered for an auction also increased and reached 600 thousand names a day.

2014: Revenue of $3 million

Revenue of Hammer in 2014 made about $3 million, operating profit — about 300$  000, tells a source, close to Mail.ru Group. However all this profit was eaten by payments for Naspers loans.

2015: Project closure

In July, 2015 it became known that the controlling shareholder of Hammer, Allegro Group (belongs to the South African holding Naspers), made the decision to close the project, Vedomosti with reference to two sources close to other shareholder of the company tells — Mail.ru Group.

Mail.ru Group has a minority stake in Hammer (exact shares are unknown). At this Naspers is also a shareholder of Mail.ru Group — it possesses 28.9% of the capital and 12.5% of voices. Naspers converted actions into global depositary receipts recently.

"Hammer" lacks long ago own funds for development therefore the controlling shareholder periodically granted to the company the loans, specified a source, close to Mail.ru Group. Besides, Naspers has much more successful investment into the Russian Internet commerce — Avito.ru service. For July, 2015 in Hammer 35−40 people, but after closing them work, most likely, will dismiss, he adds. Except Hammer on commodity market and services of Russia the Allegro Group holding includes the Tiu.ru portal and also Naspers possesses 30.7% of online store of children's goods of Esky.ru.