The desire to make some extra cash, combined with our collective conscience poking at us to be more sustainable, has led to a boom in the reselling market.
Take Depop. The peer-to-peer shopping app’s $62m (£48m) investment is evidence the demand is firmly there for the industry to continue to grow.
Of course, reselling is nothing new – eBay has been around for what seems like forever, and sites like StockX, which lets users resell hard-to-get products, have received huge backing in recent years. Depop’s niche, however, is that its demographic of millennials are after vintage, deadstock and everyday pieces more than they are, say, the latest buzz brand.
Depop functions like most social media apps, allowing users to scour through results based on customised searches, hashtags and curated pages to find a bargain – much easier than going to the local vintage shop in the hope of finding something decent.
For the buyer, one of the pros is dealing with people of a similar age and not a faceless organisation that just wants more money. Others enjoy knowing that they’re helping the seller, who, quite often, is getting rid of unwanted clothes to tide them over until payday, rather than build a business.
That being said, for many, Depop has grown into a platform that has the potential to make them some real money. Some have utilised the platform so proficiently that they’ve built a full-on business out of selling clothes online.
Harry Adorian (@adorjan) is one such person. He’s built a following of 10,000 people so far and prefers using Depop to sell his clothes over other sites. “eBay is such a big market for all ages and all countries, which makes it much harder to find trends. The market on Depop is much generally younger and cooler.”
Thinking of getting into the game yourself? With the help of some of the site’s top sellers, we’ve pulled together the ultimate guide to selling on Depop successfully.
How To Get Followers On Depop
Be Active
For once, you shouldn’t feel guilty about endless scrolling. Being active on Depop can help you get your page noticed. When you’re not listing your unwanted gear, hunt around different communities on the site and follow profiles selling pieces similar to your own. Hop on the explore page too and see what’s catching the eye of the curators. This will help make your products as attractable as possible.
Be Nice
It’s simple – and should be a given – but be polite. Adorian claims it’s one of the key things that sets his shop apart. “A massive way of growing is just to be really nice. Nice messages, be responsive, be understanding and be patient.’ @101vintagestore owner Kirsty – who boasts over 29,000 followers – agrees, saying she “values customer service highly” which has led to lots of repeat customers.
Get Consistent
How your image is photographed is everything. Ask different people and they’ll give you opposing answers for what works – on body, flat lay, bright colours, minimalism. Truth is, there’s no recipe for success. However, you can up your chances by ensuring that your product is framed clearly so it’s easy to digest on the first glance. Aim to create a consistent style so that your shop window – your profile page, in this case – looks neat and professional. This will also help you get to the ‘explore’ page, which places your products in front of thousands of potential buyers.
How To Sell On Depop
Optimise Your Caption
The image of what’s up for grabs does the talking, but the caption will deliver it to the right people. The key is not to oversell – use terms that people are going to search for first like ‘vintage’ or ‘pre-loved’, and be informative. Often people will search for the size from the outset so make sure you’re specific on how the piece fits and add any other notes you’d want to know if you were buying it.
Upload In Bulk
@JoeBuckVintage, now a Depop ‘Top Seller’, explains that he has seen success in “refreshing items as much as you can and listing in large quantities”.
The idea here is that you’ve provided a selection for visitors once they’ve hit your profile. Think of your page as a physical store – you wouldn’t bank on one piece working for everyone, so give options and be willing to package them into a deal should someone be interested in purchasing more than one piece. If you want to be extra savvy with bulk uploading, take advantage of when Depop offers zero selling fees to save extra cash.
Be Clever With Timings
Streetwear seller Koye (@mojokojo) says that the evening (between 7-9pm) is the perfect time for selling, and pretty much everyone agrees. It’s a common-sense call that’s easy to overlook – list your products when you’ve got the biggest audience possible. In the evening, you have a captive audience of people back from work and school and are most likely scrolling.
Harry Adorian uploads “once a week, usually on a Thursday evening, or just before payday” to service people when they can afford it. Being consistent seems to work for @101vintagestore too. “Evening uploads every day, 15+ items and ideally more – and a good mix of price points and styles for everyone” is a good place to start.
Be flexible
That sweatshirt might have once cost you £60, but sadly, you have to be honest with yourself when it comes to reselling. Don’t see it is a bad thing – price your products realistically and you’ll create more demand than by starting too high and scaring people off. Kirsty of @101vintagestore agrees. “Everyone seems to look to sell the big brands and loud items at high prices, but we can’t all afford a £100 sweatshirt. Look to source basic items that everyone wants to wear and that you can price low.”
Package Things Well
Your efforts shouldn’t stop as soon as the money hits your PayPal account. If you want people to review you highly and look to you again for more products, take extra care to package your product neatly and make it something they’re excited to open. If you can, stay as sustainable as the clothes you’re shipping by packaging them in biodegradable or recyclable packing. And follow Adorian’s lead and encourage your buyer to do the same if they’re looking to sell something.