Instagram Consignment Shops

Beauty and Fashion
Written By Nicole Zintzun
AMANDA'S ARTICLE - NICOLE copy.jpg

By: Amanda Frese

Thrifting at consignment stores and second-hand retail shops is a beloved pastime by many, hallmarked by their racks of recycled fashion pieces and crowds of shoppers eagerly hunting for deals on designer brands. However, the global pandemic has posed obstacles for the future of these small businesses. During the pandemic, limited store capacities, closed fitting rooms, and an overall fear of in-person shopping caused a 50% drop in revenue at resale stores, according to the New York Times (Schiffer, 2020). In efforts to combat the ever-shrinking number of in-person shoppers during COVID-19, consignment stores such as Buffalo Exchange, Crossroads Trading Co., and Wasteland have been forced to get creative in their marketing. Several consignment stores have turned to remote platforms such as Instagram to sell their products.

Despite 2020’s lack of in-person consignment shopping, according to ThredUp’s annual business report, “resale grew 25 times faster than retail in 2019, with 62 million buying products in 2019” (Grechko, 2020). In reporting this data, Refinery 29 attributed the rise in online sales to a decline in in-person shopping and a rise in leisure time during the pandemic.

As online sales continue to trend on platforms such as Instagram, businesses such as Scottsdale-based To Be Continued, have seen a 57% growth in sales from pre-pandemic revenue (Arizona Big Media, 2020). Instagram has enabled stores such as To Be Continued to expand their clientele from Arizona to shoppers around the world. As Chrissy Sayare, the co-founder of To Be Continued, explained in an interview with Arizona Big Media, their Instagram page has been successful enough to ship “Louis Viutton and Prada bags to the beaches of Turk and Caicos, Hermes bags to Hong Kong and a Karl Lagerfeld vintage handbag to the head handbag designer for Chanel in Paris. It is truly amazing to see the demand during these times” (Arizona Big Media, 2020). The creativity of second-hand brands such as To Be Continued to reach an international clientele has resulted in dramatic success and an evolving landscape for the future of consignment shopping.

Detox, a luxury brand consignment store based in St. Petersburg, Florida, experienced similar growth following a switch to online retail. At the beginning of the pandemic, Detox was forced to close its doors for 30 days. According to Patch, this caused the store owners to think outside the box and begin posting Instagram stories of their handbags, shoes, clothing, and more (Luckey, 2020). Detox, which receives roughly 300 new items per week, continues to use Instagram as its main retail platform even after reopening their in-person store.

Secondhand shopping is also gaining traction due to its sustainability, which became especially appealing to shoppers during the Covid-19 pandemic. By stopping the cycle of continually buying new clothes that are left unworn, demand for the production of new clothes has decreased, according to the Scientific American (Hirschlag, 2019). By shopping secondhand, consumers decrease emissions, water usage, and demand for rapid production of clothing. This phenomenon is being felt worldwide thanks to the accessibility of global shipping through social media.

Although the pandemic temporarily halted the experience of in-person shopping, Instagram and social media have allowed global consignment shoppers to scavenge for unique, vintage products from the comfort of their homes. Not only does Instagram consignment allow for the pastime to remain alive through global shutdowns, but it will continue to give consignment stores a platform on which to share their products with the entire world. □

Nicole Zintzun
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