From LEANNE ITALIE
NEW YORK (AP) – Used. Like New. Thrift. Don’t buy anything. Used gently. There are many ways to describe consumption in the booming resale market.
Add “Merry Christmas!” To the list.
Resale has risen sharply among those looking to save the planet and spend less on gifts during what is possibly the most lavish time of the year – the December vacation. This year’s delays in the supply chain have provided additional motivation.
“Gifts should basically be about thoughtfulness, and arguably more thought will be given to finding a meaningful, interesting, second-hand gift for someone than just clicking the“ Buy ”button on something everyone can get from Amazon “Says Ashlee Piper, a sustainability expert and author of” Give a Sh (asterisk) t: Do Good. Live better. Save the planet. “
One of her favorite gifts was a tattered copy of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes that a friend found at a thrift store for $ 2.
“It’s cheesy, thoughtful, and utterly unique,” said Piper.
Overall, the resale market is far from dominant and encompasses all age groups. According to industry reports, the recent gains are mostly being driven by Gen Z buyers and millennials.
Big and small players benefit from it.
Luxury resale marketplace The RealReal, which has more than 23 million members after going public more than two years ago, said it had seen a 60% year-over-year increase in those choosing gift boxes with purchases during the holiday season over the past year . Last month, the online site, which includes 16 brick-and-mortar consignment stores across the United States, saw gift box orders up 73% over the same month last year for unbranded jewelry. These purchases rose 62% for Gucci items and 53% for Louis Vuitton products, according to company data.
“The stigma is gone,” said Marshal Cohen, a consumer behavior and retail analyst for the NPD Group. “There is a new way of looking at how valuable a part of the resale product is. Sales of new and used goods in the gray market are now reaching new heights. Scoring a great article that others can only dream of is the new form of luxury. “
Gift card sales for online second-hand giant ThredUp, which went public earlier this year, rose 103% in the first two weeks of December compared to November as a whole, said Erin Wallace, vice president of integrated marketing.
Kristi Marquez, 36, in Jupiter, Florida, has two young daughters. She cut her gift list from around 20 people to 10 this year after her family decided to shop for their children only. A good three quarters of their gifts will be resale items. She used Thriftbooks.com and other booksellers to buy previous titles at heavily discounted prices. The Facebook marketplace and local mothers groups have proven fruitful for toys.
Sometimes, she said, reselling isn’t about the environment or about saving money, especially this year.
“At the top of our elders list is the Magic Mixies Magic Cauldron. At first I didn’t know the toy was so popular and was shocked to see it sold out everywhere except for more than double the price from resellers on Amazon and Walmart, “she said. “After wading through potential scammers, I finally got one at Poshmark for $ 99. It’s not the eco-friendly toy we were hoping for and it’s still overpriced, but we’re glad we found the main toy she asked for this year. “
The plastic toy that makes noise and fog after children brew a “potion” costs $ 69.99.
As more retailers added resale as an option, technical middlemen have stepped in to help. One company, List Perfectly, offers resellers tools to cross-post their goods on 11 marketplaces.
“Reselling doesn’t necessarily mean used. Many resellers are selling new items that are currently in short supply as they have spent months planning their inventory to meet demand for Christmas shopping, ”said Clara Albornoz, Co-Founder and CEO. “Buyers can see a multitude of options, easily compare prices, shop from home, get their items quickly and cheaply and have them delivered directly to them, usually with the option of returning in the event of problems.”
Another company, Recurate, enables brands to create their own resale platforms on their websites.
“Recurate’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday week sales were over 50% above average,” said Karin Dillie, Vice President of Partnerships. She said customers are looking for items to resell “to satisfy their own deal hunt and buy as gifts”.
The resale marketplace Galaxy is specifically aimed at Generation Z, offering live shows for buyers and sellers to interact in real time. A five-day holiday event with 40 top sellers recently took place there.
“The ability to have real-time conversations through live video and text messaging enables sellers and buyers to develop a relationship. This often leads to salespeople becoming trusted curators of your wardrobe and holiday shopping, ”said Danny Quick, Co-Founder and CEO.
Sadie Cherney, a South Carolina Clothes Mentor franchise owner with three boutiques, said resale is a market buyers should be careful about.
Her Tips: Look for new tagged items, do your homework on return policy, make sure things like zippers are working, check for stains and tears, and most importantly, decide whether to tell your gift recipient that you have shopped reselling.
Kahlil Spurlock, 32, of Jersey City, New Jersey, turned to reselling Christmas gifts this year to help reduce its carbon footprint. He used Grailed, a site not unlike The RealReal but focused on menswear.
“I bought for my 20 year old brother who is buying resale,” he said. “There are some items that are just so cool, such as streetwear that you can only find in resale.”
Spurlock took two items from hot brands for his younger siblings.
None of this is new to suburban Philadelphia, 50-year-old Amanda Spencer. She is a longtime reseller on the Facebook marketplace, local Buy Nothing groups that offer items for free, and events like sales at her church.
This Christmas she found a number of books her daughter wanted on Facebook. And she picked up a beanbag from a buy nothing group that her daughter had asked for.
“It’s not exactly the one, but who cares,” said Spencer.
She found Minecraft cube building toys for her son at a flea market.
“Most of the things they’ve gotten their lives are either hand-picked or from consignment stores,” says Spencer. “Why bother paying for full retail?”
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Follow Leanne Italie on Twitter at http://twitter.com/litalie