Second-hand platform Vinted is getting into the logistics business: its new subsidiary Vinted Go is installing pick-up lockers, starting in Paris, and is also developing its own shipping platform for external parties.
International locker network
Vinted is turning into a real holding company with the launch of a new subsidiary: Vinted Go. The second-hand platform from Lithuania now has its own logistics department. In the short term, the network should consist of 43 transporters who use electric vans to deliver parcels to more than 220,000 pick-up locations.
First up is Paris, where as of next month, Vinted users can choose to have their second-hand clothes shipped from or delivered to one of the lockers. These will be so-called “pick-up drop-off” points (PUDO).
“European infrastructure too fragmented”
At the same time, Vinted Go is also developing a digital shipping platform that will bring together and optimise the shipping infrastructure of various external companies. This platform should be launched in the coming months. “Europe’s cross-border shipping infrastructure is highly fragmented and lacks accessibility, convenience and connectivity – all factors that are essential for international e-commerce companies,” Vytautas Atkočaitis, vice president of Vinted Go, told Ecommerce News.
The new logistics arm has also led to a new corporate structure. Vinted and Vinted Go are now owned by the new holding company Vinted Group. The marketplace is henceforth headed by CEO Adam Jay, who joined the company earlier this year, while Thomas Plantenga has become group-level CEO. Vinted today has more than 65 million members and is active in 16 markets in Europe and North America.