With increasing number of image conscious people coupled with economic crisis, online sales of second-hand clothes are at an all-time high in the US.
According to the First Annual Resale Report of San Francisco-based kids e-retailer thredUP, 358,497 kidswear items were sold through the e-shop last year, enabling re-sellers to earn US$ 800,000. The kidswear brands with the best resale value and popularity were Gymboree, Baby GAP, Justice, Levi’s, GAP kids, OshKosh, Lands’ End, Adidas, Limited Too and Rare Editions.
The thredUP.com buys consignment quality kids clothing from the US residents, posts it online and once the apparels are sold out, the e-retailer pays up to 40 percent of the resale value to the original sellers.
Ms. Karen Fein, marketing director at thredUP.com, told fibre2fashion, “Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious and economical, so clothing resale is on the rise making up a US$ 13 billion industry.”
“We believe that the next wave of growth of clothing industry is in re-commerce, bringing resale online and allowing consumers across the US to buy and sell used clothing from the comfort of home,” she says.
When asked about the reason for the boost in re-commerce, she says, “For resale to keep up with traditional retail, the second-hand shopping experience needs to be convenient, enjoyable and risk-free. By bringing the entire resale experience online, and stepping in as a middleman between buyers and sellers, thredUP is bringing second-hand to mainstream consumers nationwide and eliminating the stigma around "used," one shopper at a time.”
The e-retailer thredUP, which was launched a year ago, is planning to introduce resale of womenswear and maternitywear segment on the online portal, while continuing with its resale of kidswear.
Talking about the reason behind launching re-commerce, CEO and co-founder at thredUP, Mr. James Reinhart says, “We realized that people would like to change their wardrobe collection every six months, sometimes by swapping their clothes with someone and this has led to the launch of thredUp.com.”
According to The Association of Resale Professionals, approximately 18 percent of Americans are likely to shop at a thrift store to recoup costs and save on new fashions.
