Selling second-hand clothing has never been more popular and easier. Due to the economic downfall happening worldwide, the used clothing industry is growing rapidly and is expected to increase in the coming years. Following this, the vision to waste less and reuse more has gained more momentum as everyone, including the Gen Z consumers now visit the second-hand clothing market often.
Just like other businesses, being a second-hand clothes supplier may seem tedious and nerve-wracking, but it’s somewhat easy and highly rewarding if the proper steps are followed. In this post, we will be sharing with you the due processes that will support you on how to start a second-hand clothing business.
What is a Second-hand Clothing Business
Just as it implies, a second-hand clothing business is an establishment that deals with the resale of pre-owned clothes, such as shirts, skirts, gowns, blouses, trousers, shoes, etc. Formerly, they were traded offline on flea markets and thrift shops. But today, they are sold via online platforms.
As opposed to a total of $119 billion in 2022, the second-hand market is expected to reach $218 billion in 2026. This makes it a great and profitable business to venture into.
Why Start Used Clothing Business
Source: Pinterest
Used clothing business is not like other businesses as it’s extremely simple and requires less stress. Unlike other businesses, just little capital is required. Also, they are easily recognized and attract attention anywhere they are placed.
Below are reasons why you should start a second-hand clothes business.
- Cost: This business entails the resale of pre-owned wears, meaning that they won’t be valued at the same price they cost when produced. Following this, a designer item can be gotten for a fraction of the original price. Also, little to no advertisement is required as the business promotes itself. And as regards the location of the business, you don’t necessarily need to have a shop. You can converse with customers from your residence, thereby eliminating the cost of rent.
- High demand: It’s popularly used by the upwardly mobile youths and middle-age population who are limited by tight budgets, especially with the consistent increase in food, rent, transport, electricity bills, and other essential expenses. Also, the world’s population keeps increasing, meaning that clothes will continue to be in high demand.
- Quality: Many people trust used clothing over new ones as they’ve been tested and confirmed to be durable. Banking on the fact that they’ve been used by someone else for years and still retain their color and overall quality, they are believed to be better than new ones with no past record.
- Power of choice: Unsorted used clothing wholesale comes in various grades, which are pecked at different prices. This allows you to attract many customers, including those with higher income to afford A-grade clothes and lower income individuals that are capable of affording other grades of clothes.
- High turnover: Everyone needs to cover themselves with clothes, resulting in an increase in second-hand clothing demands and high turnover. This is more beneficial in festive seasons as only food is the commodity that sells more.
- Does not require formal education: As opposed to some other businesses that require education certificates, a used clothing line only demands serious efforts and perseverance to succeed. You need to study fashion trends and customer behavior as these are the factors that influence business success.
- Flexibility: You have the liberty of controlling the way the business will go. Depending on your capacity, you can start small while managing all the aspects of business yourself or start big and employ additional hands for proper management.
- Impulse buying: Due to the cheap price of second-hand clothes, it’s easy to convince customers to buy as they pass by. With proper promotional and negotiating skills, you can alter the placement, packaging, and price to influence the decision of end users.
Steps to Starting an Online Used Clothing Business
With the advancement in technology, starting an online clothing business has become extremely easy. Discussed below are the steps to take on how to start a second-hand clothing store online.
Source: indetexx
1. Conduct Market Research to Find Your Niche
The very first step that ascertains the success of every business, including online used clothing stores, is conducting market research to find the best niche to focus on. With this research, you will be able to understand customer’s needs and verify if your intentions are in line with theirs or not. This evaluation will help you devise the best business model to suit market needs and earn reasonable profit.
Another importance of this process is that it tells if the niche you intend to venture into is already saturated by other sellers.
In carrying out the market research, you need to analyze existing second-hand clothes and vintage trends in other places. Bringing in new designs will make your products unique, hence you will stand out amongst other used clothes suppliers and get more customers. Also, within your locality, check out the existing online used clothing stores and read customers’ reviews to get the aspects you can exploit.
Other questions you need to provide answers to during your market research are:
- What is the state of the second-hand clothing industry in your community/country? Is it growing or not? Is there a government ban or not?
- How has the revenue of online used clothing businesses evolved over the years?
- How many online second-hand clothes shops opened and shut down over the last few years? What is/are the reason(s) for their failure?
- What’s the average amount of money customers are willing to pay for second-hand clothing?
- Which online platforms do customers visit more?
2. Create Your Brand
After concluding on the niche to focus on, setting up your brand is the next step. Branding requires time and a lot of effort as it tells a story of what your used clothing business is about and what it stands for. As a general rule, the name, logo, design, and style of your business should be in line with the brand’s vision and mission.
When branding your business, be sure not to use difficult and hard-to-remember details. Also, check with your country or state business registration agency to confirm that no other business already uses your name. This is to prevent legal issues in the future.
Also, see to it that you sort out all legal documents needed like the Social Security Number, Tax Identification Number, Online Privacy Policy, Online Terms of Use, Seller’s Permits, etc.
3. Set Up Your Online Shop
It’s important that you set up how you want to sell your used clothes before buying them. Because what’s the need of having stocks without a means to sell? Whether it is selling second-hand clothing for a single piece or exporting in batches, you need to build your own website or website store. On how to start a used clothes store online, there are three different possible routes.
An eCommerce Platform
eCommerce stores are the simplest way for new sellers to make waves online. These platforms allow sellers to select and customize their preferred templates without any technical requirement. This is a highly beneficial and cost-effective means for new businesses as it’s more difficult and costly to build and maintain personal websites.
Moreover, eCommerce stores provide a committed support team to help you set up your online shop. Examples of eCommerce site builders are Shopify, WooCommerce, GoDaddy, Wix, Zyro, Magneto, and Volusion.
A Self-hosted Website
The second possible route is to create your personal website using a Content Management System like WordPress. The benefit of this method is that you have full ownership and control of the activities on the website. But it’s a little costly, requires a lot of time and technical skills. Also, you’d have to spend money on a domain name, web hosting, and security measures.
If you have the required technical skills, the advantages of having a self-hosted website are endless. This kind of website is very suitable for bulk used-clothing exporters.
Online Marketplaces
There are already established popular marketplaces online where people frequent for all kinds of products. Some of them include eBay, Amazon, Tradesy, Urban Renewal, Beyond Retro, Luxury Garage Sale, etc. Millions of people visit these online stores, making it a great way to get noticed. Online marketplaces allow second-hand clothes sellers to build a large customer base conveniently as these platforms only face few technical issues, hence very reliable.
However, the competition is fierce as both small and large scale businesses make use of these platforms in order to expand their customer base. Also, the fees can add up and eat into your margins.
Selling on online marketplaces is fine, but not a long-term solution. After building your followers with more loyal customers, you can create your website for better control, lesser fees, and lesser competition.
4. Order Your Bale Clothing
Ordering for second-hand clothing is different from other types of business. Don’t buy too many products at first; start with a small collection. This will help you ascertain what’s selling amongst all your products and to buy more when placing the next order. Places to source your products from include eBay, craigslist, flea markets, clearance sales, garage sales, estate sales, and community donations.
For better second-hand clothing, go to thrift stores located outside town where items are less likely to be sold immediately. You can also get used clothing from affluent neighborhoods; they usually have quality used clothes.
While sourcing your used clothes, inspect them to make sure that they still retain their quality and are sellable. Also, check for their labels and brands to know if they are vintage wears.
5. Get a Warehouse for Your Used Clothes
After getting your used clothes, the next thing to do is find a place to store them. As a beginner, you can choose to use a section of your house. But as your business grows, you will need an extra space to store them.
As a second-hand bale clothes supplier, the warehouse for your products should be big enough to contain them conveniently. Right from the storage, the used clothing should be sorted accordingly – in categories like shoes, trousers, shirts, etc.
6. Take Good Product Photos
After properly arranging your bales of clothes in the warehouse, you need to take great product photos. These photos will be posted on your online platform to show customers what they will be buying. This means that the images must be clear and show the quality of the clothing.
7. Place a Price Tag on All Your Pre-owned Clothes
Setting the right price for your bulk used clothes is a great determinant to sales and turnover. You wouldn’t want to have a price tag and discourage potential buyers. And at the same time, you wouldn’t want to have a low price tag that will result in loss.
Before concluding on the price of your pre-loved clothes, you need to consider two factors, which are margin management and competition.
Margin management entails the cost of production, such as product acquisition cost, packaging & shipping cost, and all other expenses like warehouse rent, website hosting, insurance, etc. To get the right price for your products, evaluate the cost of production to make a solid decision so that you’ll get profit. But don’t be too greedy and charge a very high sum of money.
You are obviously in a competitive industry unless you have unique stocks. In terms of competition, check for the prices other sellers charge as you need to be competitive with pricing.
8. Set Up Delivery/Shipping Processes
After customers have placed an order, the next thing is to have them delivered. So, you need to set up your shipment process. There are two ways to do this – either you deliver the products yourself or employ the services of a logistics company.
9. Formulate a Marketing Plan
The steps on how to start a second-hand clothing store online is not limited to the above. A business without proper marketing will move at a slow speed if at all it moves.
After setting up your online platform, you need to ensure that it attracts traffic and turn the visitors into loyal customers. To do this, marketing is essential and below are two plans that can be adopted.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the process of improving your website to boost its visibility when people surf for products and services that are similar to your business. The more people get to see your used clothes website, the more likely it is that your customer base will increase. This plan is carried out on search engines like Google and Bing.
Social Media Marketing
Social media is a large house that supports business promotion. Currently, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, and TikTok are arguably the most powerful social media platforms available to new online businesses. Using these platforms, you can make people know of your used clothes.
Steps to Starting a Second-hand Clothing Business Offline
The major difference between starting a second-hand clothing business online and offline is the location of the business as selling is done outside the comfort of your residence. For offline business, here are the steps you need to take:
Source: indetexx
1. Get a Location
Choosing a location is very paramount to the success of your used clothing business. Firstly, you must do research to find out the most suitable place to be situated. Then provide answers to these questions:
- How much does customers frequent the location?
- What is/are the age bracket of customers that frequent the place?
- What’s the purchasing power of consumers who come to the location?
The point is you must be in a favorable location where buyers always come. This is an advantage as it will lessen the effort you will expend towards promotion.
2. Source Your Used Clothes
There are two ways to do this – it’s either you start a consignment store or buy your products yourself. In a consignment store, people bring their second-hand clothing to you. Before starting this, make a list of rules concerning the types of clothes that are acceptable (quality is paramount). When each cloth is sold, the owner gets a larger part of the money while you keep an agreed percentage.
To buy used clothing yourself, you can check out second-hand clothing companies, yard & estate sales, eBay, thrift stores, and online overstock shops.
3. Focus on a Niche
While you can sell all kinds of clothing, including used men, women, children, and vintage clothes you can as well specialize in a niche. Then you can choose to sell related housewares and accessories that match your niche.
4. Complete all the Necessary Legal Documentations
The legal documentation to be processed differs based on the regulations of every country/state. Find out and complete all the business registrations needed.
5. Buy Other Supporting Equipment and Supplies
Since the clothing will be displayed outside for customers to see, you will need hangers, racks, shelves, display stands, and mannequins. You will also need tags for the clothing and a changing room. Also, you will have to get packaging where customers can put the second-hand clothes they bought.
6. Display Your Products
Showcase your high quality used clothes in a way that they will be visually appealing and attractive to passersby. You can in fact go as much as studying window designs at other department stores for better ideas.
7. Promote Your Shop
Depending on your budget, select the most cost-effective promotional means for your offline second-hand clothing business. You could choose any or all of these: flyers, display ads in the local newspaper, radio ads, charity events, organize fashion events, and a grand opening celebration. Collaborate with other businesses in the environment.
How to Start a Used Clothes Business by Buying Wholesale
Here are the steps on how to start selling second-hand clothes by buying wholesale. By following these processes, success with high profit is guaranteed.
Source: iStock
1. Market Research and Feasibility
Conduct proper research and study the market to know the demographics and psychographics of people who need used clothing. While doing this, focus on low-income earners as oftentimes, they are the ones mostly in need of second-hand clothes.
2. Decide on the Niche to Concentrate On
There are many areas you can venture into to make huge profit and gain more customers. Below are some of them:
- Online second-hand clothing store
- Offline second-hand clothing shop
- Garage sales
- Bricks and mortar consignment store
You could decide to focus on any of these, and at the same time choose to sell used males, females, children, and vintage used clothes or just some of them.
3. Know the Possible Threats and Challenges
One of the difficulties you will face is how to compete with already established used clothing businesses, as well as new second-hand shops around your environment.
Another possible threat and challenge is the economic downturn, which influences customers’ purchasing power. Unfavorable government policies, such as ban on import of used products will pose serious problems as it will affect how you source for goods.
4. Set Up Your Business Legally
To register your business with the government, you need to first of all do branding. This entails creating a unique story and name for your business.
After the branding, you can head on to the business registration body in your country/state and have your second-hand clothes business registered to become legal.
5. Choose the Best Insurance Plan
Since you will be ordering second-hand clothes for sale in bulk, it’s imperative that you discuss with an agent to advise you on the best insurance policy to choose. This will help to cover some part of the loss in case your business faces any misfortune.
6. Hire Reliable Employees
Just one person cannot control a startup used clothes business that buys in wholesale; extra hands will be needed for proper management. Employ additional hands for your technical and manpower needs. Every section of the business, such as the sourcing department, inspection department, financial department, etc., should be handled by experts.
7. Write an Idea-Packed Marketing Plan
Customers are the major determinant to your business success, so you need to devise a way to let them know of your business and buy your products. Your marketing plan must be fully packed with great strategies as you need to be proactive in order to counter any challenge that you might face, as well as how to retain customers.
Here are some marketing plans you can use:
- Direct marketing
- Online marketing through SEO and social media
- TV and radio programs
- Using sales agents and representatives
- Erecting of billboards in strategic places across the city
- List your used clothing business in local directories
Things to Consider When You Want to Buy Wholesale Bale Used Clothes
Asides from the points discussed above, these are some other factors that should be considered when buying wholesale bale used clothes.
Source: indetexx
1. Market Trend
Customers love to be in tune with trends in their environment. This means that you must consider the recent used clothes styles and designs circulating the market as it influences customers’ decision to wholesale or not.
2. Clothes Style
The styling of the used cloth also matters. Even though it’s not trendy, it must be beautiful and attractive to the eyes.
3. Turnaround Time
When ordering for second-hand clothes, you must make inquiries about the turnaround time i.e., how soon will you get your order delivered. A delay in shipment can tamper with your business plan.
4. Budget
You should estimate the total cost of doing business while having the price of each expense that will be incurred. Unless you plan to run the business yourself, you will need employees, which amounts to payment of salaries. Also, you would have to pay rent if it’s an offline business. This and many more are the pointers to consider.
International Second-hand Clothes
Exporter – Indetexx
Indetexx is a highly-rated second-hand clothing company with an established system in souring, recycling, and selling used clothes to customers worldwide. Offering competitive advantages, we have more than 70,000 collection points that ensures a steady supply of raw materials, making us to have at least 1,500 tons of used clothes available at all times to meet your demands.
The sourced clothes are inspected thoroughly and only the ones with at least 90% quality are accepted into the warehouse for recycling. Having a streamlined production process and cutting-edge machinery, we provide you with only high-quality clothing at an extremely cheap price within the expected time.
Used clothing exporter-indetexx also provides many customization services, like logo, and packaging. And partnering with reliable logistic companies, we have your order shipped to you within the lead time while you enjoy free logistics tracking.
You can reach out to indetexx today for all your second-hand clothes needs!
