How Convelio and Phillips Are Revolutionizing Post-Sale Art Logistics

When Phillips, one of the world's leading auction houses, began looking for a partner to address these challenges at scale, the conversation turned to what a fully integrated approach could look like: instant pricing, consolidated storage, and a single point of access for buyers across cities and sale categories.

In this conversation, Edouard Gouin, CEO and co-founder of Convelio, and Paul de Bono, Chief Operating Officer, Europe, at Phillips, discuss how their partnership came together, what it has changed operationally, and where it is heading next.

The Challenge of Post-Sale Art Logistics in Auction Houses

To Paul first: Phillips is a global powerhouse in the auction world. What was the operational challenge you were trying to solve when you started looking for a partner like Convelio?

Paul: Post-sale shipping and storage have always been a pain point for auction houses - and I say that having been at Phillips for 18 years. It's a problem we've been trying to solve for a long time. When I first met Edouard a few years ago, the conversation was very interesting, but we needed a complete package: post-sale storage combined with the technology to make the whole experience seamless.

The turning point came when I learned that Convelio had acquired a warehouse in London. I met with him again, we ran through a plan together, and I became confident they could fix many of the issues we'd been dealing with.

Being able to give clients courier quotes instantly, offer really competitive fine art shipping rates, and handle storage and collections all in one place… it just ticked every box. We're now through our first sales, and from what I've seen, it's been a real success. We had our share of issues before, and this partnership has genuinely sorted them out.

When you're operating at the scale Phillips does (with works moving between consignors, storage, auction rooms, and buyers across multiple cities) what does a breakdown in visibility actually look like on the ground? What were the moments that made you realize the existing tools weren't enough?

Paul: There's a real difference between the consigning and the selling phase, and it's worth separating the two. On the selling side, working with Convelio has been fantastic. The reason it works so well is that we have all the information. That's what allows their technology to just kick in and do what it does.

The consignor side is naturally more complex, as information comes together from multiple sources and continues to evolve over time. Details like weight or the exact pickup location aren’t always finalised upfront, which makes it a more nuanced challenge to manage. That said, it’s a space with significant potential. With Convelio, we’re well positioned to bring greater clarity and momentum to the consignor experience, and unlock many of the same efficiencies we’ve already seen on the buyer side.

On the post-sale side specifically, the old process was painful. Getting quotes from multiple shippers could take 48 hours at best. From the moment the hammer went down to a buyer actually receiving a shipping quote, we were looking at seven days: moving works to third-party storage, waiting for inventory, and only then could anything go out. With our first Convelio sale, we were getting quotes to buyers before Convelio had even turned up to collect the works from Berkeley Square. The experience for our buyers is immeasurably better than it was just last year.

Edouard, what percentage of quotes would you say are now going out instantly?

Edouard: For anything essentially under £250K in value, it's instant in 95% of cases. Above that, particularly for evening sale pieces, we still want an expert eye on it, making sure the crate specifications are right and the service level matches the work - but even then, we're talking 24 hours at most.

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Edouard, you've spent nearly eight years listening to the art world's operational headaches. When Phillips described what they were dealing with, was this a familiar story or did it push Convelio's thinking in a new direction?

Edouard: What Phillips was experiencing is something every major auction house deals with, or has dealt with, globally: it takes too long to get a competitive quote, and historically that quote has often been expensive on top of it.

But over the past three or four years, it's become increasingly clear to us that a fast, competitive quote alone isn't enough. Two things matter just as much. The first is service quality. Phillips offers its buyers an exceptional experience, and we have to be the extension of that, not a weak link at the end of it. Matching that standard has been a major focus for us.

The second is that shipping is only one part of the equation. What clients need is the level of simplicity we offer on the shipping side for self-collection, 3rd party collection and more. All the options need to be part of a single coherent experience rather than a patchwork of providers. This is the solution we now offer to Phillips.

Building a Unified Art Logistics Platform

Convelio was founded in 2017 with a focus on shipping, but over the past 18 months you've expanded significantly into storage and inventory management. Edouard, can you walk us through what the platform can now do, and why this evolution was a natural one?

Edouard: When Convelio was founded in 2017, our ambition was to solve three longstanding challenges in fine-art shipping: opaque pricing, slow quote turnaround times, and the absence of end-to-end tracking. We are proud to have introduced the first instant, freely accessible pricing algorithm for fine-art shipping, along with the first end-to-end tracking solution.

Shipping remained our sole focus until two years ago, when we opened our first fine-art storage facility in London. This marked a natural extension of our approach: using technology to solve persistent challenges for art professionals, while giving clients greater visibility and a more seamless experience across their operations.

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To support this, we developed a proprietary inventory management platform for works stored in our Paris and London facilities - soon expanding to New York, where we expect to open a warehouse in September 2026. We then integrated this platform with our shipping technology, creating a connected experience across storage and transport.

Today, the platform has evolved significantly. Clients can manage inventory stored with us or elsewhere, enrich records with detailed information, track customs status, record sales, and manage buyer data. Crucially, this information feeds directly into the shipping process, reducing friction and saving time.

What we’re building is a fully integrated ecosystem, where shipping, storage, and inventory management work together seamlessly. This forms the foundation of our long-term vision: a single, coherent solution for fine-art logistics, operations, and back-office management. And we’re still only at the beginning of that journey.

Paul, when you were evaluating solutions, what made Convelio stand out? There are established players in art logistics and storage software. What was the differentiator?

Paul: Historically, we’ve tended to go out to tender for our post-sale services every three to four years. I remember the last time we did this, about three years ago, Convelio was already at the table. What stood out then was the strength of the technology but at the time, the offer wasn’t fully comprehensive. There was no integrated storage solution or local delivery fleet, which meant we couldn’t rely on a single partner end-to-end.

As a result, the process remained fairly traditional. We were essentially negotiating on price - what can you offer for local delivery, how long can you provide free storage after an auction - without much differentiation beyond that.

What changed more recently was that Convelio had built out the missing pieces. When I met Edouard again about six months ago, they had a warehouse near Heathrow, their own fleet for local deliveries, an experienced technicians team and continued advancements in their technology. At that point, it became a completely different proposition. Suddenly, we were looking at a partner who could offer everything we were already sourcing elsewhere, at a competitive price, but with a layer of technology that significantly reduces the workload for both our post-sale and logistics teams.

Even after just one sale together (where you might typically expect some friction or growing pains) the impact was remarkable. The platform answers questions that nobody else out there right now can answer.

Edouard, the phrase "unified client experience" is central to how you're describing this partnership. What does that actually mean in practice for a client of Phillips using Convelio's platform?

Edouard: From the client’s perspective, everything is accessible through a single, seamless entry point. Once a client wins a lot at auction, they receive a link alongside their payment. From that one link, they can access a full range of services: they can obtain a shipping quote, update or modify their delivery address if needed, and instantly see those changes reflected in the quote.

They can also manage a self-collections, a third-party collection, and more. All of these options are consolidated into one coherent interface, rather than being handled across multiple emails, providers, or systems.

Just as importantly, the experience is designed to be secure. We’ve implemented robust safeguards, including two-factor authentication, to ensure that all client data entrusted to us by Phillips is fully protected.

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Paul, from your perspective: what does Phillips gain specifically from the AI-powered workflows and advanced payment link functionalities? Is this about speed, accuracy, staff time, or something else entirely?

Paul: It’s really all of those things, but above all, it’s about the level of customer service we’re now able to offer our clients. Our buyers are receiving a standard of service that simply wasn’t possible for us to deliver historically. Part of that is driven by faster turnaround times and more competitive, transparent pricing, but it also comes down to the quality of the interactions they’re having throughout the process.

Inside the Convelio-Phillips Partnership

Edouard, what's it like walking into a conversation with a house like Phillips, one with deep institutional history and high standards for how their operations run? Is there a particular dynamic that comes with working with a partner at that level?

Edouard: It’s always an honour to work with a company like Phillips. It has such a rich history, and what it has achieved over time is truly remarkable. At the same time, there’s a clear drive within the organisation to keep improving and evolving, which I deeply respect.

Walking into a conversation with a partner of that calibre is naturally humbling. We’re confident in what we bring to the table, but also very aware that we’re still a young company, without the institutional legacy of a business like Phillips - even if that’s something we’re working hard to build over time.

That creates a healthy balance: mutual respect, combined with a shared ambition to keep pushing things forward. We’re very pleased with how the partnership has developed so far, and excited to continue building on it in the years ahead.

Paul, Edouard: what's one thing about working with each other that surprised you?

Paul: When I met Edouard, what stood out was the attitude: there was no overpromising, just a willingness to look into any problem and work out a solution that worked for both of us.

There’s an honesty there, but also a real drive to solve the challenges that come up. We’re dealing with New York at the moment, which is different and needs to be staged, but throughout it all, it feels like we’re working towards the same goal.

There’s also openness in how we discuss costs and timelines. Across the team, it feels like a strong relationship.

Edouard: I think that’s exactly what we’ve felt on our side as well. Phillips has an amazing team. They are genuinely nice, very knowledgeable people, and the team and I have really enjoyed working with them throughout the entire process. Plus, every time we walk into a meeting with them, everyone is smiling. I think that’s a good sign.

Scaling Art Logistics Across London, New York and Beyond

Where does the partnership stand today in terms of what's live and operational, and what's next on the roadmap for how Phillips uses the platform?

Paul: Right now, we’re live across all London sales. Convelio is our partner for post-sale storage and all post-sale shipping, and it’s the first option presented to all of our buyers.

We share the objective of increasing the percentage of buyers who use that link, because the more adoption we have, the smoother the process becomes for us, for Convelio, and for the buyer. And it’s working well.

The first Editions sale performed even better then we expected, and we had high expectations going in. The next step is New York. We’re currently working through how to stage that; likely starting with Editions and Photographs, using a similar setup to London, but with fulfilment initially handled through our own warehouse. The goal is that once Convelio opens its New York facility, we can have it set up exactly the same as London.

While New York brings additional complexity on the payment side, particularly around taxes, the client experience will remain entirely unchanged. Convelio has already developed the technology needed to handle this complexity seamlessly behind the scenes.

And slightly longer term, we’re looking at Hong Kong. We don’t currently have a post-sale operational setup or our own warehouse there, so it will require a different model, but the objective is clear: to build this into a global partnership.

Edouard, Convelio now has storage facilities in Paris and London, both operating above breakeven. How does a partnership like this one fit into the broader business story you're building, particularly as you head into this fundraising moment?

Edouard: I think it’s a strong confirmation of the strategy we initiated about 24 months ago. The market hasn’t been as dynamic in recent years as it was when we created the company, so we had to rethink how we could deliver more value to our clients. That led us to both verticalise and diversify the business.

Verticalising meant operating more of the chain ourselves: we now run our own trucks and have our own technician teams in London and Paris, and soon in New York. At the same time, we diversified by adding storage services, which wasn’t something we originally offered.

The key was then to unify all of this into a single ecosystem that we make available to our clients. Today, we believe we’ve built the first fully connected art logistics ecosystem. Others may offer parts of it, but we’re able to bring it together at a very high standard of service.

Partnerships like this one with Phillips are a strong validation of that strategy. And as we head into this fundraising moment, it’s also a confirmation that the direction we’ve taken is the right one.

Reimagining how we operate as a company has not always been without challenge, but it has proven to be a highly successful evolution, one for which our team deserves enormous credit for the exceptional work delivered at every level. What’s becoming clear is that having trucks on the ground and storage facilities in key hubs works very well for us… and it gives a clear direction for where we’re heading over the next five to ten years.

For the art world more broadly (other auction houses, galleries, collectors) what does a partnership like this signal about where the industry is heading?

Paul: I think, broadly, we’re all trying to automate as much as possible. At the same time, we know that a lot of costs sit in pre-sale and post-sale shipping, so we've got to balance automation with customer service and competitive quotes.

For us, going all in with Convelio, hopefully on a global scale by the end of the year, signals that there is a way to achieve that. We’re still early in the process, but we haven’t had any negative feedback so far. Everything has been very positive.

The next step is to continue gathering feedback from our teams and our clients, and to build that into how we evolve the partnership. But overall, I think it puts a very real option on the table for anyone selling artwork.

The Impact on Collectors and the Art Buying Experience

Last question, and a more personal one. Paul: you work in a world of extraordinary objects, with significant emotional and financial weight attached to each one. Does better logistics technology change the experience for the people who care most about these works?

Paul: I think so. If you look at high-value artworks or design pieces, clients expect a certain level of service: bespoke crating, specialist handling, fine-art shipping.

But when you step down slightly, the experience hasn’t always matched that. You win something at auction, which should feel great, and then historically you might wait several days for a shipping quote only for it to come back extremely expensive. That can really sour the experience.

We’ve seen this especially with online sales or lower-value works. Someone might purchase a piece and then receive a £6,000 shipping quote. That was happening up until quite recently.

What’s changed with Convelio is the range of options, particularly the courier service they provide. I’ve seen cases where we’re shipping works from the UK to Hong Kong for around £620 (including packing) which is a completely different experience.

So the hope is that clients keep that positive feeling: you’ve won something you love, and now you can get it shipped at a reasonable price, within a predictable timeframe and a great service.

Ultimately, it makes the whole experience more enjoyable, and keeps the client satisfied throughout.. which, historically, hasn’t always been the case. So yeah, it's critical.

And Edouard: you co-founded Convelio nearly eight years ago. When you look at a partnership like this one, what does it represent to you personally, beyond the business milestone?

Edouard: In business, there are always risks to take, and there was a huge amount of risk when we entered this market eight years ago. We didn’t know anyone, we were complete outsiders. We built the company from the ground up with the team.

And today, we’re operating our own warehouses and providing a unified ecosystem to one of the world’s leading auction houses, on a global scale. What makes it even more meaningful is that we’re doing it with people at Phillips who we genuinely enjoy working with.

That, for me, for the team, is a significant milestone, something we can all be very proud of.

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There is a particular frustration that comes with winning a lot at auction, only to spend the following week chasing shipping quotes, coordinating storage, and wondering when your work will arrive. For a long time, that friction was simply accepted as part of the process.

This conversation between Phillips and Convelio suggests that acceptance is no longer necessary. Quotes that once took seven days now arrive instantly. Shipping rates that once caught buyers off guard with unexpectedly high costs now reflect the competitive pricing of a consolidated logistics operation. And the patchwork of providers that once sat between the auction house and the buyer is giving way to a single, connected platform.

With London fully operational, New York launching this month, and Hong Kong in the near future, the scope of this partnership is expanding. But what matters more than geography is the underlying principle: that the post-sale experience should meet the same standard as the sale itself.

To explore how Convelio supports auction houses with integrated post-sale logistics, visit convelio.com or request a consultation at hello@convelio.com.