Do you love timeless fashion trends and go hunting for retro treasures between stalls and markets? Would you like to turn your passion into a business? So, read how to create your own vintage and used online shop.
Vintage is a constantly expanding sector. The emergence of concepts such as reuse and recycling has decreed its success even among the younger consumer groups. And while the 'old' returns, the way of promoting it changes . To build a successful business in this market, it is essential to sell online and create an e-commerce of vintage and used clothing that works.
Open an online vintage signs store: preliminary study
Before moving on to the practical phase, you will need to set up a business plan that takes into account start-up and management costs and the threat posed by competition. Our advice is to focus, with particular attention, on the target audience by identifying in detail the buyer personas : who are the potential customers, what age are they, what are their interests, where do they live?
This preliminary analysis will lead you directly to the next steps:
Define your niche : decide what to sell and on which period you want to specialize. Fashion clothing and accessories, objects (eg musical instruments, records, comics), or rather furniture? 40s, 70s, 80s? Answering these questions will allow you to define your audience while building an identity for your brand.
Build the inventory : sourcing the goods is the crucial moment in the creation of an online store, of any sector. Thrift markets, stock sales, judicial auctions, classifieds sites are the first physical and digital places to start your search. Since these are dated / used objects, you will need to carry out careful checks on the state of conservation and on any defects and imperfections. If your niche is high fashion designer clothing / accessories , you will need 'eye' and expertise to avoid buying counterfeit goods.
Choose your buying strategy : consignment or buy-sell ? At the beginning of your business the first way is the recommended one, because it presents less risk. Take charge of the goods, if you sell them within 60 days you pay a fee to the user who put the item on consignment and your profit will be on the price difference. If you don't sell, return the goods at no cost and also solve the unsold problem. Buying and selling is the classic way, in which you buy from suppliers, retail or wholesale, and sell the goods on your e-commerce, taking care of managing the inventories.
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Pricing : giving a price to vintage clothes or used accessories is difficult, because there are no official reference price lists . The evaluations must take into account factors such as the condition of the object, its rarity and the value of the brand in the case of vintage high fashion garments.
Creating an online vintage shop: how do you do it?
To create an e-commerce of vintage and used, there are two ways to go: rely on specialized sites that allow you to open an online store hosted on their platforms, or create your own site with a proprietary domain . Both solutions are not cost-free and require budget assessments, 'warehouse' organization and shipment management.
In any case, regardless of what your choice will be, we recommend that you structure your online store by taking into account the following aspects:
Categories : divide the products for sale in your online vintage store according to macro product categories, within which you can create further subdivisions by age, price etc.
Description : the description of the goods must be detailed not only as regards color and size, but also the condition of the product and any imperfections.
Photos : photos serve not only to show the goods, but also to enhance them. Make them with care and creativity . For example, you could show how an item on sale can be paired with an accessory to create a look
FAQ : The “ Frequently Asked Questions ” page is for customers to better understand how your online store works. Here you can find information about shipping and return conditions, sanitation treatments and the criteria by which item defects are assessed.
Communication for a vintage e-commerce
Enhancing the timeless charm of some fashion items and retro design objects will help you attract the attention of the public and make them discover the value of your brand within the sector. The promotional aspect is essential in order not to 'disappear' on the web : blogs and social networks are two indispensable tools, which you will have to deal with in parallel with the sale.
The blog will be useful to show your brand philosophy , talk about your business and raise awareness among users on the value of recycling and reuse. Social media, such as Instagram Shopping , will allow you to interact with customers, who will be able to promote your store through company hashtags , for example by sharing photos of the items purchased on your e-commerce.