May 26, 2021
A new platform for second-hand clothing has entered Canada offering another option for consumers to participate in the growing
circular fashion economy.
The European platform Vinted will allow Canadians from Vancouver to Montreal to conveniently and easily trade their pre-loved clothes and accessories with each other.
Consistent with Vinted's European model, Canadian members can register for free and upload their pre-loved fashion items to Vinted's user-friendly, C2C platform. Sellers keep 100 percent of their profit with no extra fees, while buyers are provided a buyer protection plan, which costs 5 percent of the item's price plus a fixed fee of $1.10 CAD.
"To us, Canada is a great market fit, and an exciting next milestone on our mission to make second-hand fashion the first choice worldwide," said Thomas Plantenga, Vinted CEO.
"We know that Canadians are increasingly interested in the circular economy or considering trading second-hand apparel in the next months, thus reducing their fashion footprint for the greater good. We also see that the motivations to buy and sell pre-owned fashion are similar to those of our European markets, so we're confident that the benefits and convenience of Vinted will translate.”
Vinted has a growing community of 45 million members spanning 13 markets with a mission to make second-hand the first choice of consumers worldwide, while encouraging people to keep their clothes in circulation longer.
The platform’s Canadian debut comes as earlier this month, the company raised €250 million to support new market expansion and to invest in product and people, as consumers shift toward the circular economy accelerates.
The European start-up is headquartered in Vilnius, with offices in Berlin, Utrecht and Prague and has over 700 employees.
Resale competitor Poshmark entered the Canadian market in June 2019 ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has only fuelled the resale market.
Vinted is now available in Canada and accessible for download on iOS and Android via the app stores.