The Resale Market- as it is now called, instead of secondhand fashion, is steadily rising through the last couple of years. Reports say that the general retail sector is far behind in comparison as the resale market is growing 20 to 21 times faster. Its by no means a new concept, we’ve all bought resale items on ebay or Alibaba. What changed is the mindset of people after the pandemic set in. There is a shift towards sustainability, restricting urges to splurge and of course… buy online than go the store. So how is this entire scenario affecting digital marketing? Lets take a look!

The fall of the Retail Sector

In 2018 itself, surveys showed that around 30 billion pounds worth of clothing was just hanging there in people’s closet because no one was going out. Not shockingly, the general retail sector also saw in huge drop in sales. Some extreme cases recorded included the well known brand Burberry burning 30 million pounds worth of unsold clothes. Its not just the fact that people weren’t buying outdoor clothes. It was also the fact that many people were financially hard hit and they couldn’t afford clothing from high end brands with intimidating price tags.

This is when buyers really started considering resale platforms like threadUP, Vinted, Depop, the RealReal etc like they had never before. Sustainable buying was of utmost importance and that need was being met on these platforms. At the end of 2018, the resale market stood at a net worth of $24 Million! At the end of 2021, this market is set to stand at $54 Billion. Now that is some serious rise in 3 to 4 years.

How Covid affected Shopping Habits

When the World suddenly went into lockdown and everyone was isolated in their homes, a lot of thoughts hit home. First, obviously, was the fact that shopping would have to be sustainable and need based. Another revelation happened as people noticed that due to the lack of cars and pollution on the streets, the grass was, literally, looking a lot greener. At least 70% of the World’s population recognized that saving the environment was as pressing a matter as saving yourself from the Pandemic.

Thus came in the eco-friendly shopping mentality. Shoppers changed their existing habits and preferences and started opting for eco-friendly fabrics, for used or second hand clothing that was in good condition. They also opted more for brands that used eco-friendly packaging practices.

A new approach to resale marketing

With everyone being at home, social media became a means of entertainment as well as of communication. This is where resale startups realized that rather than just a sterilized e-commerce site selling their secondhand wares, people were looking for something that felt more like a community where members were exploring fashion. This is just how brands like threadUP and Depop presented themselves, bringing them immediate popularity and success. In fact threadUP is now being considered the ‘Amazon of Resale’ by everyone!

With innovative ideas like the closet clean out kit and the fashion footprint calculator, threadUP really conveys how much they care about the environment. It’s a platform that facilitates seamless selling and buying, peer to peer and it has a newsroom where everything related to sustainable and secondhand fashion is always reported. And what threadUP is to USA, Depop is to UK, with 29 million registered users from 127 countries! Like threadUP, you can stick to buying and selling items here or you can also set up a digital storefront and establish your own Brand. This too is a platform where people can discover new things about fashion and mix and match to create something fresh and new.

If you too are planning something along the same lines or already have a secondhand fashion brand that need digital exposure, the experts at Brandmirchi would be happy to help you with strategy, establishing digital presence, diverting traffic your way and much more!