Giving our garments a second life is one of the easiest ways to be more sustainable when it comes to our clothes. Apart from that, you can ensure that you, as the buyer, can find those super unique pieces, nobody else in your surrounding has. But does online second hand shopping also work in our digital world? This article dives deeper into the different business models of second-hand fashion and questions which of them are suitable for pre-loved garments.
What is the difference between online and physical second-hand?
Pre-owned clothes have been sold in many different ways for many generations. These retail spaces include flea Markets, charity shops, vintage stores or second-hand shops. But as our society evolves and almost everything slowly becomes digital, also the way we shop our clothes is moved to online retail. A typical second-hand shopping experience has the same characteristics as all real-life retail shops. You can touch, try on and inspect the items yourself and also the ambience of the store might influence your choices. When you transform a concept like second-hand fashion into a digital one, some issues might arise.
Apart from being able to shop from the comfort of your home and using the possibility of searching by category rather than having to go through all the hangers yourself, online shopping doesn’t give you the possibility to truly know what you are getting. Especially with second-hand, it is often not possible to return your items, which makes it kind of a gamble if the quality is as good in real life as stated online and if the item even fits your body. Still, those possible struggles only occur in C2C second-hand business models. Therefore some companies have created ways to combat these issues by giving both the seller and the buyer a safe and revocable shopping experience.
Benefits of shopping online second-hand
There are many advantages when it comes to second-hand shopping such as
- You can stay at home while shopping
- You support the circular fashion industry
- By sharing your newest preloved items on social media you can inspire others to shop second as well
Who are the forerunners in the online second-hand sector?
The online second-hand market isn’t new. Apps and websites where customers can buy pre-worn clothes from private vendors have been loved for many years. Think of eBay, the biggest platform for used items. But these flea market style sites are always based on C2C sales. This has its downside as you don’t have the assurance that you will get a good quality product like shown in the picture online. Big companies take this weakness and have been creating concepts that are safe for both sellers and customers.
Zalando – online second-hand shopping made commercial
One of the biggest and newest players is Zalando Zircle. Their business model is based on an effortless trading-in system and an enjoyable online shopping experience for pre-owned fashion. Zalando takes in second-hand brand clothes from customers which are then quality checked and if approved bought from the seller. Then the product will be put on the website under the pre-owned sector and new customers buy the item directly from Zalando. This has as an advantage that the buyer has all the comforts of online shopping at Zalando, including 100-day return possibility and free delivery.
What is the difference between pre-owned and second-hand?
“Pre-owned is very different from the familiar second-hand experience. We combine new, used fashion with our Zalando DNA: high quality and high comfort. In the new pre-owned category in our fashion store, customers will find a selected, quality-checked range with professional photos and product details. In this way, we guarantee a uniform shopping experience on our platform.
Second-hand shops and boutiques will continue to attract customers because they offer this special shopping experience. Pre-owned, on the other hand, offers something completely different and is aimed primarily at customers who like to shop from the comfort of their own home and only want to see the items of clothing that are most relevant to them. With Zalando Pre-owned, you get a curated, quality-checked, up-to-date range that you can filter according to your size and your wishes.” – Torben, VP Recommerce.
How does selling via Zalando work?
If you want to sell your pre-owned clothes through Zalando you need to follow a few steps. These include:
- Choose up to 20 items in very good condition for the price calculation.
- Send in pictures of your clothes for digital review.
- Download the free shipping label and send the garments to Zalando.
- When your items arrive they will go through a thorough quality check, if approved you will receive your credit in form of a Zalando gift card or you can let it be donated. The items that are not approved will be returned to you free of charge or donated.
Other players in online second-hand shopping
Apart from Zalando’s concept of B2C second-hand shopping, there are also many regular C2C options available online. Here is a list of online second-hand website in Europe that offer both selling options:
Conclusion
Second-hand is definitely not a brick and mortar concept anymore. There are many ways to sell and buy pre-loved garments online. This development is a great opportunity for circular fashion to be available for the mass. Zalando has found a way to offer a new second-hand shopping experience, whereby both the seller and customer can benefit from. Nevertheless, it is still a big conglomerate doing what they do best – making money. It is on you to decide if you prefer a seamless shopping experience through companies like Zalando Zircle or take a chance at buying from private vendors. Regardless of how, buying pre-loved clothes is a great way to help our fashion industry become more circular and the earth will appreciate your effort.
