Vinted is “serious business”: how resellers are becoming increasingly formidable competitors to retailers

The secondhand market is rapidly becoming more professional. Private sellers are turning their hobby into a full-fledged retail business, spreading their offerings across multiple platforms, and sourcing inventory in an increasingly professional manner. In doing so, they are encroaching on the territory of specialized secondhand chains and other professional retailers.

Vintage reseller: a full-time job

A new tier is emerging between the occasional Vinted seller and the traditional secondhand retailer: more and more platform sellers are operating as small—though often invisible—stores. They source merchandise strategically, follow trends, use various sales channels, and must constantly find new inventory. This is evident from Fleek’s State of Resale Report. The wholesale platform for secondhand fashion surveyed 339 active sellers in 22 countries and combined those responses with its own search and sales data.