Hayneedle began in 2002 when Doug Nielsen, Julie Mahloch and Mark Hasebroock purchased a single online store, Hammocks.com, from a llama farmer in rural Washington state. Over the next few years, the company opened more online stores, each focused on one particular type of product, developing a portfolio of sites focused on indoor and outdoor home furnishings, accents, and decor. In 2005, the company unified under the name NetShops, and continued its category expansion. By acquiring Duluth, Minn.-based Thralow, Inc. in 2006, the company gained properties Telescopes.com and Binoculars.com, and underwent an internal restructuring.2007 saw another corporate restructuring, more niche website expansion, and the acquisition of GiftBaskets.com. By this time, NetShops had launched and operated hundreds of online specialty shops.Hayneedle began in 2002 when Doug Nielsen, Julie Mahloch and Mark Hasebroock purchased a single online store, Hammocks.com, from a llama farmer in rural Washington state. Over the next few years, the company opened more online stores, each focused on one particular type of product, developing a portfolio of sites focused on indoor and outdoor home furnishings, accents, and decor. In 2005, the company unified under the name NetShops, and continued its category expansion. By acquiring Duluth, Minn.-based Thralow, Inc. in 2006, the company gained properties Telescopes.com and Binoculars.com, and underwent an internal restructuring.2007 saw another corporate restructuring, more niche website expansion, and the acquisition of GiftBaskets.com. By this time, NetShops had launched and operated hundreds of online specialty shops.