The rise of the resale second-hand market in fashion

The rise of the second-hand resale market. Vinted is the leader among the TOP 100 Cross-Border Sustainable Marketplaces operating in the EU27 and the UK.

Brussels, 09 December 2021. The EU fashion resale second-hand market is projected to double in the next five years (2025), reaching a total of 34 billion euro. 90 million shoppers have tried reselling for the first time in 2021 compared to 16 million in 2020. The resale fashion market is currently growing 11 times faster than traditional retail.

By 2030 the resale market will be twice as big as the fast fashion market. Those are the takeaways from the second edition of “TOP 100 Cross-Border Sustainable Marketplaces Europe”.

Cross-Border Commerce Europe conducted a study with support from its Research Partners, FedEx Express and Worldline.

 

The ‘Top 100 Cross-Border Sustainable Marketplaces operating in Europe’ is a compilation of cross-border sustainability data of the best-performing marketplaces websites.

The ranking is based on a score of 100 across ten weighted KPIs:

I.    Cross-border sustainability objectives
II.   Cross-border sustainable business model
III.  Cross-border sustainable shopping experience
IV.   Sustainability certification & labels
V.    Sustainable product assortment
VI.   Sustainable last-mile delivery & transport carriers
VII.  Brand partners
VIII. Far East manufacturing & transport
IX.   CO2 carbon footprint measurement
X.    Sustainability executives (CSR)

This study considers all types of online platforms (B2C, B2B, C2C, P2P) and covers all sectors except travel and sharing platforms.

The Top 10 Global Cross-Border Sustainable Marketplaces operating in Europe are:

1. Vinted (Lithuania)
2. eBay (US)
3. Vestiaire Collective (FR)
4. StockX (US)
5. Depop (UK)
6. Artpal (US)
7. Etsy (US)
8. Rubylane (US)
9. Amazon (US)
10. Spoonflower (US)

C2C resale second-hand marketplaces dominate this TOP 10

• Nr1 Vinted from Lithuania achieved a score of 70/100 and has a fantastic track record (market cap €4 billion) with a state-of-the-art C2C platform. The Vinted marketplace symbolizes the “rise of the resale market”. With nearly €2,75bn GMV, Vinted has a resale market share of almost 40% in Europe.
• US tech-centric C2C resale Marketplaces’ successful IPOs from ThredUP, Redbubble and Poshmark prove the power of efficient growth of sustainable businesses and circular models. 45% of online shoppers have already bought a circular product. 7% for refurbished, 3% for recycled, 11% for customized and 66% for second-hand resale goods. A preloved vintage second-hand ladies’ dress saves 4.3 kg of CO², the equivalent of driving a car 17 km compared with a new dress. Wearing a garment for just nine months longer reduces 20% of its footprint.
• Etsy’s Depop purchase is only the beginning of resale consolidation. Resale is big: noticing a 31% increase in secondhand listings on eBay for the past 3 years. 70% of second-hand buyers make their first luxury purchase on vintage resale marketplaces, and 59% of luxury product buyers say they are concerned by the issue of sustainability.
• The other best-scoring sustainable European marketplaces are Vestiaire Collective from France with eRank #3 as a resale marketplace, Spreadshirt from Germany with eRank #14 as a customization Marketplace, Asos from the UK with eRank #17, Zalando from Germany with eRank #19,  Bol.com from the Netherlands with eRank #20, Leboncoin from France with eRank #21) as a second-hand marketplace, Tradera from Sweden with eRank #24 as a second-hand marketplace, Farfetch from Portugal-UK with eRank #26, Rebuy from Germany with eRank #28 as a refurbished marketplace, Momox from Germany-France with eRank #30.
• Marketplaces have an important market share of about 50% for online consumer goods cross-border B2C and C2C purchases in Europe and benefit from “e-Commerce leads the way to a more sustainable and circular future”. By 2030 the resale market will be twice as big as the fast fashion market (x2). By the end of this decade, secondhand fashion will overtake fast fashion, and the resale segment will lead the second-hand market.

But marketplaces face some severe challenges.  Supply-chain logistics’ bottle-necks due to post-COVID high online purchases harm sustainability efforts from marketplaces, critical consumers changing attitude toward sustainability, retailers and brands embracing DTC (direct-to-consumer) not relying on marketplaces concerning sustainability, considerable investments in green warehouses and last-mile logistics, further innovation is requested for sustainable solutions to reduce and handle online returns.

In 2021, marketplaces increased efforts for more and better:

• transparency, authenticity and supply chain traceability
• adherence to sustainable certificates, (eco-)labels, scores, (ISO-) standards, environmental pacts and indexes
• sustainable product assortment and services, accessible findable online via filters and tags
• sustainable product packaging – adherence to certificates
• implementing new online IA, AR+VR and 3D technologies – Virtual fitting, reducing online returns
• empower 9R-services – new business models CFR Circularity: re-use, resale, subscription, rent, recycle….
• is in line with upcoming sustainable EU – regulations
• collaboration with carriers’ green last-mile programs, sustainable return management and handling service
• building ‘sustainability’ teams at C-level
• prioritize collaboration with sustainable (niche) brands (retailer brands), niche sustainable brands and sustainable fashion innovators, and service providers start-ups Well-known brands and retailers extending to marketplaces are launching/collaborating with sustainable, innovative services; 60% target to open second-hand offerings.
• achieve Carbon-, Product Environmental (PEF)- and biodiversity footprints targets with clear communication for online customers through displaying Sustainability Impact Data online
• offsetting CO² emissions by carbon-neutral energy programs

Returns are a trillion-euro problem for the online fashion retail industry. How do virtual fitting rooms become the next retail battleground? Virtual try-on has swiftly emerged as one method of reducing those returns. Returns are only recycled or disposed of in rare cases. 85% of clothing worldwide ends up in landfills. Every second, the equivalent of a rubbish truckload of clothes is burnt or buried in a landfill. Only 1% of fashion goods are recycled.

30% of the TOP 10 C2C sustainable marketplaces work on reducing the carbon emissions from their operations by implementing direct shipping within the EU. These marketplaces also offset CO² emissions by adhering to carbon-neutral energy programs.

“I would like to thank our market research partners FedEx Express and Worldline who, along with our research team, put all their energy behind the second edition of this eagerly awaited study. It makes sustainable marketplaces operating in Europe more transparent and stimulates a sustainability journey for this entire sector”, concludes Carine Moitier, the founder of CBCommerce.eu

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International Press Coverage

Belgium

Business AM
Le seconde main croît 11 fois plus vite que la mode traditionnelle
https://fr.businessam.be/le-seconde-main-croit-11-fois-plus-vite-que-le-commerce-traditionnel/

RTBF
Mode: le marché de la seconde main croît 11 fois plus vite que le commerce traditionnel
https://www.rtbf.be/info/economie/detail_mode-le-marche-de-la-seconde-main-croit-11-fois-plus-vite-que-le-commerce-traditionnel?id=10894527

Le Soir
Vinted ou la durabilité limitée des vêtements de seconde main
https://www.lesoir.be/411315/article/2021-12-09/vinted-ou-la-durabilite-limitee-des-vetements-de-seconde-main

Metro
Mode: le marché de la seconde main connaît une croissance folle
https://fr.metrotime.be/monde/mode-le-marche-de-la-seconde-main-connait-une-croissance-folle

RetailDetail
Dit zijn de duurzaamste marktplaatsen van Europa
https://www.retaildetail.be/nl/news/mode/dit-zijn-de-duurzaamste-marktplaatsen-van-europa
Et les market places les plus durables d’Europe sont…
https://www.retaildetail.be/fr/news/mode/et-les-market-places-les-plus-durables-d%E2%80%99europe-sont

Fashion United
Vinted op nummer één als cross-border duurzame marktplaats
https://fashionunited.be/nieuws/business/vinted-op-nummer-een-als-cross-border-duurzame-marktplaats/2021120933924

Gondola
Vinted, élue première marketplace durable en Europe
https://www.gondola.be/fr/news/vinted-elue-premiere-marketplace-durable-en-europe
Vinted uitgeroepen tot meest duurzame Europese marktplaats
https://www.gondola.be/nl/news/vinted-uitgeroepen-tot-meest-duurzame-europese-marktplaats

Le Vif
Grand boom du marché de la seconde main: un essor 11 fois plus rapide que le commerce traditionnel
https://weekend.levif.be/lifestyle/mode/grand-boom-du-marche-de-la-seconde-main-un-essor-11-fois-plus-rapide-que-le-commerce-traditionnel/article-news-1500869.html?cookie_check=1639055470
Ne pas perdre la bulle
https://weekend.levif.be/lifestyle/magazine/ne-pas-perdre-la-bulle/article-normal-1526983.html

L’Echo
L’e-commerce textile de seconde main devrait doubler de taille d’ici 2025
https://www.lecho.be/entreprises/produits-de-consommation/l-e-commerce-textile-de-seconde-main-devrait-doubler-de-taille-d-ici-2025/10352312.html

 

DACH

Klamm
Die TOP 100 der nachhaltigen Marktplätze in Europa
https://www.klamm.de/news/die-top-100-der-nachhaltigen-marktplaetze-in-europa-14N206976.html

ADVFN
The Rise of the Resale Second-hand Market
https://de.advfn.com/nachrichten/The-Rise-of-the-Resale-Second-hand-Market_86765198.html

Online Marktplatz
Die TOP 100 der nachhaltigen Marktplätze in Europa
https://www.onlinemarktplatz.de/206976/die-top-100-der-nachhaltigen-marktplaetze-in-europa/

Versendhaus Berater
Diese Marktplätze punkten in Bezug auf Nachhaltigkeit
https://www.versandhausberater.de/aktuell/db/491615suf.html

iBusiness
Diese Marktplätze punkten in Bezug auf Nachhaltigkeit
https://www.ibusiness.de/aktuell/db/491615suf.html

 

France

Startup365
The Rise of the Resale Second-hand Market
https://www.startup365.fr/the-rise-of-the-resale-second-hand-market/

LSA
Une étude sacre Vinted marketplace transfrontalière la plus durable d’Europe
https://www.lsa-conso.fr/une-etude-sacre-vinted-marketplace-transfrontaliere-la-plus-durable-d-europe,399146

Ecommercemag
Infographie Zoom sur le Top 10 des marketplaces transfontalières durables
https://www.ecommercemag.fr/Thematique/retail-1220/barometre-etude-2168/Infographies/Zoom-Top-marketplaces-transfontalieres-durables-367376.htm

Ekopo
Infographie Zoom sur le Top 10 des marketplaces transfontalières durables
https://www.ekopo.fr/Thematique/entreprises-1285/Infographies/Zoom-Top-marketplaces-transfontalieres-durables-367376.htm

Fashion United
Vinted marketplace transfrontalière la plus durable d’Europe, devant Vestiaire Collective
https://fashionunited.fr/actualite/mode/vinted-marketplace-transfrontaliere-la-plus-durable-d-europe-devant-vestiaire-collective/2021120928563
Les tendances retail qui vont façonner 2022
https://fashionunited.fr/actualite/retail/les-tendances-retail-qui-vont-faconner-2022/2021121428590

Challenges
LE RETAIL, UN AVENIR DESSINÉ PAR LES URGENCES DE NOTRE ÉPOQUE
https://www.challenges.fr/economie/le-retail-un-avenir-dessine-par-les-urgences-de-notre-epoque_797180

 

The Netherlands

Twinkle
Tweedehands mode is hip. De Europese markt voor tweedehandsmode groeit momenteel elf keer sneller dan de traditionele detailhandel. De komende vier jaar zal die markt naar verwachting groeien naar 34 miljard euro.
https://twinklemagazine.nl/2021/12/europese-markt-voor-tweedehands-fashion-groeit-de-komende-jaren-naar-34-mil/index.xml

RetailDetail
Dit zijn de duurzaamste marktplaatsen van Europa
https://www.retaildetail.nl/nl/news/mode/dit-zijn-de-duurzaamste-marktplaatsen-van-europa

Retailtrends
‘Markt voor tweedehandskleding in 2030 groter dan fastfashion’
https://retailtrends.nl/news/65861/markt-voor-tweedehandskleding-in-2030-groter-dan-fastfashion

Fashion United
Vinted op nummer één als cross-border duurzame marktplaats
https://fashionunited.nl/nieuws/business/vinted-op-nummer-een-als-cross-border-duurzame-marktplaats/2021120951929

Emerce
De opkomst van de resale tweedehands markt
https://www.emerce.nl/wire/opkomst-resale-tweedehands-markt-vinted-nummer-1-top-100-crossborder-duurzame-marktplaatsen-die-zowel-eu-27-vk-actief

Nieuws Redactie
Reputatie tweedehandswinkels verandert: van muffe zooi naar trendy items
https://nieuwsredactie.fhj.nl/index.php/2021/12/15/reputatie-tweedehandswinkels-verandert-van-muffe-zooi-naar-trendy-items/

 

United Kingdom

Silicon
The Rise of the Resale Second-hand Market
https://www.silicon.co.uk/press-release/the-rise-of-the-resale-second-hand-market

London News Today
Vinted reigns as the number one resale market in the EU
https://londonnewstime.com/vinted-reigns-as-the-number-one-resale-market-in-the-eu/597506/

Newsgroove
Vinted reigns as number one resale market place in EU
https://www.newsgroove.co.uk/vinted-reigns-as-number-one-resale-market-place-in-eu/

 

European Media

Fashion United
E-commerce: Vinted, eBay et Vestiaire Collective en tête des sites transfrontaliers durables de l’UE
https://ma.fashionnetwork.com/news/premiumContent,1359560.html

Fashion Network
Vinted, eBay y Vestiaire Collective son las principales plataformas internacionales sostenibles de la UE
https://es.fashionnetwork.com/news/Vinted-ebay-y-vestiaire-collective-son-las-principales-plataformas-internacionales-sostenibles-de-la-ue,1359598.html
E-commerce: Vinted, eBay e Vestiaire Collective são as principais plataformas internacionais sustentáveis da UE
https://pt.fashionnetwork.com/news/E-commerce-vinted-ebay-e-vestiaire-collective-sao-as-principais-plataformas-internacionais-sustentaveis-da-ue,1359624.html

Ecommerce News ES
¿Cuál es el Marketplace más sostenible de Europa?
https://ecommerce-news.es/cuales-es-el-marketplace-mas-sostenible-de-europa/

Açores9
5 grandes tendências no Retalho no cenário pós-pandemia
https://jornalacores9.pt/5-grandes-tendencias-no-retalho-no-cenario-pos-pandemia/

Mediaguru
Nejudržitelnější evropská online tržiště za rok 2021
https://www.mediaguru.cz/clanky/2021/12/nejudrzitelnejsi-evropska-online-trziste-za-rok-2021/

True News
Vinted è il futuro della moda. Ma gli startupper lituani devono vendere ancora molte borsette
https://www.true-news.it/future/vinted-e-il-futuro-della-moda-ma-i-ragazzi-lituani-devono-vendere-ancora-molte-borsette

Grande Consumo
Mercado da moda em segunda mão está a crescer 11 vezes mais depressa do que o retalho tradicional
https://grandeconsumo.com/mercado-da-moda-em-segunda-mao-esta-a-crescer-11-vezes-mais-depressa-do-que-o-retalho-tradicional/#.YfAGI1jMJF8

Interempresas
Tendencias eco para el retail
https://www.interempresas.net/Licencias/Articulos/391117-Tendencias-eco-para-el-retail.html

 

International Media

Yahoo!
The Rise of the Resale Second-hand Market
https://www.yahoo.com/now/rise-resale-second-hand-market-080000980.html?guccounter=1

Morningstar
The Rise of the Resale Second-hand Market
https://www.morningstar.com/news/business-wire/20211209005033/the-rise-of-the-resale-second-hand-market

RetailDetail
These are Europe’s most sustainable marketplaces
https://www.retaildetail.eu/en/news/fashion/these-are-europes-most-sustainable-marketplaces

Ennews
470亿美元转售市场，美国电商的下一个风口？
https://www.ennews.com/article-26164-1.html

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• European Retail Industry Reports
• Top 100 Cross-Border Sustainable Marketplaces operating in Europe