The trend of thrift shopping has surged significantly in the fashion market with online apps gaining a lot of traction. This shift is primarily fueled by the extensive array of clothing options available and the cost-effective nature of used clothing. It also owes much to the younger generation, who embrace the convenience of buying resale clothes and growing concerns of customers regarding the fashion industry’s sustainability issues.
According to Statista, in April 2023, many people worldwide got the Vinted app on their phones – almost 3 million downloads! Another key player is Depop which got nearly 500,000 downloads globally the same month. All these factors and stats combined signify that the fashion market will continue to thrive with increased demand for second-hand fashion items contributing the most.
So, the entrepreneurs looking to tap into this market must understand there is no better time than now to explore and leverage the possible benefits of creating an online fashion app. This blog will describe the leading fashion apps, and their revenue models, and learn how Yo!Kart supports building a fashion app akin to Depop, Vinted, or Mercari.
5 Best Online Thrifting/Second-Hand Fashion Apps
Each of these platforms has its unique strengths, catering to different user preferences and needs within the online fashion thrift market. Some focus more on community engagement, others on specific niches or international presence, while some offer a broader range of products beyond fashion. Let’s explore them in detail.
Depop
Founded in 2011 and headquartered in London, Depop has evolved into a vibrant fashion thrift app, boasting a community of over 30 million registered users globally. The dominant category on Depop is apparel, comprising a whopping 90% of their total merchandise sales. Depop is especially popular among younger demographics.
It strongly focuses on streetwear, vintage clothing, and unique, trendy fashion items. Furthermore, the platform’s focus on social media features and capabilities has been differentiating it and making it popular in countries like the USA and UK.
Vinted
Vinted is a popular app from Lithuania that’s all about second-hand clothing. Here, people can sell, buy, or trade their clothes easily. This app is successful for its user-friendly interface and unique functionalities such as discounts, free shipping, rewards, and more. It’s a big community with a whopping 75 million active members across 16 countries.
What’s best about Vinted is that customers can negotiate prices with the sellers and easily find the products using filters and sorting options. This makes shopping here super flexible. If you are in search of high-end fashion wear, Vinted is the right place as you can explore and buy secondhand goods from big fashion brands like Versace, Gucci, Burberry, and others.
Build Your Vinted-Like Fashion App
Thredup
Thredup is another online thrift app designed for buying and selling clothing for only women and kids. It focuses on big brands like J.Crew and Free People and has products available in plenty of sizes. The buyers always have an option to return the product, but have to pay a small fee of $1.99.
The two distinct characteristics of Thredup are regular sales offering discounts of up to 50% off on Thredup’s original prices and an automatic 12-hour hold on any item added to your cart.
ASOS
Since 2010, the ASOS app has grown into a hub for 900+ independent brands and vintage boutiques spanning more than 50+ countries. It offers a diverse catalog of goods from many brands in over 30 sizes.
ASOS stands out for its extensive collection, featuring various styles and vintage items. From sought-after Dior earrings to unique fashion pieces, the app caters to diverse tastes. So, whether you’re in search of a vintage statement piece, trendy graphic tees, or a Y2K-inspired dress, the ASOS app delivers a wide array of one-of-a-kind women’s and men’s clothing choices.
Mercari
Mercari is the perfect place for savvy shoppers looking for great deals on pre-owned clothes. You can find famous brands at discounts of up to 70% off on regular prices. Every day, around 350,000 new items like clothes, shoes, and accessories are added to the app, giving you plenty of options to choose from.
The app offers buyer protection and easy returns, making the shopping experience safe and enjoyable. Also, you can set up alerts to get notified when a specific item you’re looking for becomes available.
Poshmark
Poshmark is an online thrift app founded in 2011 in California, US. The platform is focused on buying and selling new and secondhand items across popular categories including beauty, fashion, home decor, and so on. Poshmark currently serves over 80 million registered users across Canada, Australia, the US, and India.
Its unique features include price negotiations, creating virtual closets, and the capability to follow, share, or comment on product listings. In a nutshell, Poshmark is an engaging app for fashion enthusiasts to browse and buy affordable, sustainable products.
Suggested Read: How to create a website like Poshmark?
How Do Fashion Apps Make Money?
Now that we have discussed the popular players ruling the fashion market, let’s explore how these apps make money. Below are covered a few possible revenue channels for your reference.
Platform Fees
A fixed percentage or flat rate is charged on the total selling price including the shipping charges on every sale made on the platform. For example, platforms like ThredUp and Depop typically charge sellers a commission ranging from 10% to 20% on the final sale price.
Transaction Fees
Transaction fees is charged to cover the cost of facilitating online payment gateways and maintaining a user-friendly platform. Thus, acting as a consistent revenue source.
Paid Advertisements
The app charges sellers additional fees to promote their products on the top for increased reach and visibility. For instance, apps like Poshmark charge sellers a flat fee for certain high-end items or offer optional promotional features at an additional cost.
Shipping Fees
The fashion apps charge buyers a fixed shipping fee or other different shipping options for faster delivery at an additional cost. For instance, ThredUp charges buyers a shipping fee until they reach a minimum order value for free shipping.
How Can Yo!Kart Help Create a Thrift Fashion App?
Starting an online thrift app sounds great because no manufacturing of goods is required or worrying about what’s trendy. However, with so many apps already thriving in the fashion thrift market, developing an online fashion app that stands out in the existing fashion market takes a lot of work. It requires technical knowledge and time investment. Here, leveraging a turnkey software like Yo!Kart can be a viable choice. Yo!Kart has all the essential functionalities to help launch an app that runs smoothly, attracts a huge audience, and keeps growing. To explore more or gather information about Yo!Kart, get in touch.
FAQs
Q1. What are the benefits of creating a fashion app like ASOS, Vinted, or Mercari?Ans: Creating a fashion app like ASOS, Vinted, and Mercari offers several benefits.
- Provides access to a huge audience: Enter the growing online fashion market by attracting countless sellers and buyers.
- Community engagement: Promotes a sense of community among users with similar interests in fashion, sustainability, and unique styles. Features like reviews, comments, and sharing create an interactive environment.
- Generate revenue: Make money by leveraging multiple income streams such as commission, subscriptions, promoted listings, and more.
- Promote sustainability: Promote reuse of used items further reducing the environmental impact associated with fast fashion.
Q2. How long does creating a fashion app like Depop and Vinted take?
Ans: The timeline for building an app similar to Vinted, Depop, or Mercari can differ depending on the development approach leveraged. Custom development involves stages like market research, planning, and design, extending the timeline to at least 3-6 months or more due to various involved steps. On the other hand, utilizing readymade apps cuts down the time-to-market, requiring only a few days to launch your Fashion app.
Q3. What are the essential features of a fashion app like Vinted or ThredUp?
Ans: Some key features of an online fashion app include product search and filtering, user-friendly UI, user profiles, a secure payment system, social sharing capabilities, and reviews & ratings. Get detailed information regarding the features of a fashion app like Vinted or ThredUp here.
