Second Hand: USB Charger, Mobiles, Video Game… How Vinted Diversifies out of all Clothing

RESALE: For several months, Vinted has been offering electronics, entertainment and home tabs, in addition to the classic purchases/resales of t-shirts and other second-hand clothing

Just because we sell second hand doesn’t mean we have to twiddle our thumbs. This is why Vinted seeks to expand beyond just that fashion who made it successful. In addition to your dresses, pants and bags, you can now find – or sell – tablets, caps, airpods and many other things on the site.

A shift which is not surprising as second hand is becoming so popular Europe. If the ” fashion “remains the majority in resale on The Internet, with 48% of Europeans interested, according to a Vinted study revealed in preview, sectors are increasingly following suit: 46% of the Old Continent imagine themselves reselling electronics and 44% entertainment (video game, book, puzzles…).

Clothing less overdominant

Fashion still accounts for more than two thirds of Vinted’s current turnover, estimates Adam Jay, CEO of the brand. But within ten years, the goal is for it to represent less than half of the sales from the Lithuanian giant… while remaining the most promising segment – a question of Vinted’s roots, but also of pragmatism. “We change our cell phone every two years when we can change our wardrobe ten times a year”.

It remains to convince customers to take out all clothing. Sophie, 25, claims to have never clicked on the electronic tab. “Vinted, for me, is the clothes”, says this Montpellier woman who defines herself as “not a fan of change”. She would have been born twenty years earlier which she would still call her Russia the Soviet Union and would pay in francs. But she assures him, for Vinted, it’s not just a question of habit: What I like is finding one clothing improbable, a strangely cut dress, an old relic… An online thrift store, that is. I don’t see what nugget I can get in electronics. An iPhone is still an iPhone…”

Can you make a USB cable fun to spare?

That’s what Vinted is all about: keeping the “fun” even on much more utilitarian objects. To do this, the brand has worked extensively on its tabs and its referencing, in order to make the experience faster and more efficient. “Since fashion dominated algorithms, the first brand that came when asking for a cell phone was… Zara “, recalls the CEO. Not really the most relevant item.

Making the purchase and sale of microwaves or USB cables is not impossible fun, according to Johanna Volpert, associate professor of marketing at Kedge Business School: There is the pleasure of finding the right deal, the feeling of being a fine strategist and negotiator, whatever the category. For some clients, it’s a recreational pleasure to just search, in addition to ecological and ethical motivations. ”

Conversely, “fashion” purchasing can be very serious, for the specialist. “Clothing is still your way of presenting yourself to the world, it is not necessarily a less thoughtful purchase than a household appliance”.

“The world is full of good business”

Léo is a Vinted customer who does not hesitate to venture into the electronics tab. Or entertainment. Or house… The latest find he’s proud of? “I bought my Tefal pan. Five euros compared to 19 in store. “For him, “it’s the buyers who just stick with the clothes that are weird. The world is full of good deals. ”

He can’t yet imagine buying his video game console there. “Too expensive, too risky”. But a microwave for a few dozen euros, why not… Exactly what Adam Jay is planning when he looks in the rearview mirror : “Obviously, we made ourselves known for very affordable second-hand goods. But little by little, customers are moving more and more towards high-end or luxury clothing. “He assures us: it’s the same buyer who will take the t-shirt for 5 euros and the bag for 500 euros. “And it’s also the same seller. ”

The phenomenon will be the same for electronics or entertainment, he predicts. “At first, people only sold phone chargers or that kind of easily replaceable item. But little by little, the order will evolve towards more and more expensive objects, naturally and without rushing the consumer. The average second-hand purchase price in France remained less than 12 euros per unit, according to a Wavestone study in 2024. But luxury had one of the strongest growths, with an increase in purchases of +15.5% year-on-year.

A platform to dominate them all?

The challenge for Vinted is to venture into an already very competitive sector, with players like Leboncoin. How to stand out? Adam Jay has a much larger market: You’re not selling your iPhone than at the market french but to six European countries. Another advantage is its verification site in Hamburg. For five euros, and whatever the value of the item, the buyer can send their order for a detour Germany – shipping included – in order to check and test the product. Finally, for Johanna Volpert, the client will get tired of being on 100 different platforms. Having one where he can sell and buy everything is a relevant alternative. ”

So why stop there? Adam Jay still sees some boundaries in his model: “I don’t think we’ll go so far as to sell cars”, he smiles. Everything must still be delivered in packages, easily. The limit is already felt on the largest objects currently sold, such as sofas or TV units, who have all the difficulty in the world to break even, due to the cost of delivery and complex logistics for which the site is not designed. Sometimes you also have to know how to hand over.