Currently, due to the unstable situation in the country, more and more people are trying to save money. One category of the population saves a significant part wages on food, the other on clothing. Sometimes, of course, you can not buy an extra pair of trousers, but what if the previous ones were brought to holes?

The essence of cheap shops

Buy new item not everyone can have a wardrobe, in this case second-hand comes to the rescue, where for the minimum cost you can buy not only ordinary trousers or a sweater for every day, but also clothes of expensive brands, unique things.

Why "second hand"?

What's more, over the past three years, the resale industry has grown faster than the retail clothing market, according to public opinion polls. According to a friend of mine who is quite an experienced salesperson in the field, people like to shop in secondhand stores because it makes it easier to create their own, different style. “People love the story, like they found a piece from a real designer,” the friend explained. - Some used clothes are more unique than what we see in mainstream fashion today. Often these clothes are interesting story which people think can add value to their style,” she added. While hunting for such trendy items can be quite exciting, there are tips to help you avoid unexpected expenses “just because something is cheap.”

Subtleties and nuances

A friend advises everyone to ask themselves before making a purchase: “Can I combine this item with three to five items of clothing that I already have in my closet? Should I do a custom repair of this item of clothing? How much will it cost? will it take up space in my wardrobe? Do I like it?" Of course, it makes no sense to buy pants with a broken zipper, which need to be hemmed in the future and repaired.

Six types of clothes

In addition, she points out six types of clothing that you should never buy from second-hand stores. Here they are:

1. Clothes or shoes that require mandatory alteration. “Don't force yourself to buy things that don't fit your size. The same goes for buying a coat that is too big for you. Of course, some minor repairs that do not require too much financial investments, such as a zipper replacement, shouldn't deter you from buying. For example, if you find a pair of vintage shoes that impress you but are half the size of what you usually wear, it's realistic to expect them to take up space at the bottom of your closet and not be worn," the friend explained.
2. Dyed clothes or dirty clothes. If you notice stains already in the store, chances are there is nothing you can do about it. It is better to avoid buying such items of clothing.
3. Worn-out shoes in need of a major overhaul. The only thing you should replace on second hand shoes is the insole. All other investments are excluded. And indeed, by personal experience I can note that just a few years ago I bought boots for autumn walks in used condition for mere pennies. One boot was slightly damaged near the toe. Having bought inexpensively, you can glue it. This was the main idea, as a result, I did not succeed in doing the repair work myself. And in the shoe shop they took pretty decent money from me for this trifle. So the shoes came out many times more expensive than the preliminary price.
4. Luxury items you don't know anything about. Even in used clothing stores, you can overpay for some items just because they are labeled as designer or vintage. But their actual price can be much lower. Check in time.
5. Designer gizmos that have offset stitches. This is usually the first sign that this is a copy, and not the original clothes from the fashion designer.
6. Expensive things that do not look like their money. Sometimes sellers artificially inflate the cost of their goods, telling fables. Don't fall for these tricks!

The issue of responsible consumption in 2020 is sharp. In the era of overproduction, a young audience is increasingly thinking about how to buy smarter, and often stares at things from archival collections and second-hand - in search of quality and, paradoxically, novelty. Virgil Abloh’s recent interview for Dazed is indicative: in response to a question about the fate of streetwear, the designer replied that he was waiting for inevitable death, and vintage would become a new major trend. We figure out if this is true and what awaits the used clothing market in 2020.

Text: Anna Aristova

It cannot be said that vintage and second-hand stores burst into our lives overnight - they have always aroused curiosity. Rare interviews in our section "Wardrobe" did without mentioning the treasures unearthed in some unnamed European second-hand shop during the next trip abroad. But speaking of second-hands, we always regret that the majority of Russians still treat such things not with admiration, but with apprehension and even disgust, and more often ask “is it possible to get infected with something” through such clothes.

But in recent years, the situation with second-hand has begun to change, and if you are suddenly involved in a dispute over second-hand clothing, you can safely say that this is a huge, perhaps the most ambitious niche in the luxury market. And these are not just big words - the numbers speak for themselves. So, in the study consulting firm BCG's BCG-Altagamma True-Luxury Global Consumer Insight study, conducted among 12,000 shoppers, states that although resale (i.e. stores that resell used clothing and accessories) has long remained in the shadow of the luxury market, "by 2021, this market niche will rise to $36 billion, growing by an average of 12% each year and increasing its share of total personal luxury goods to about 9%.

It is noteworthy that according to forecasts, the growth rate of the luxury market over the same period of time will be only 3% per year. And if we look at the situation in retrospect, a study conducted by GlobalData emphasizes that in the US, the growth rate of the resale market over the past three years has exceeded the growth rate of the luxury market by twenty-one times - and they are not going to slow down. Is it worth saying that resale is the future?

The rapid growth of resale can be explained by several reasons. The most obvious of them is the trend towards responsible consumption. A new generation of buyers living in an era of overproduction takes the environment much more seriously, and their beliefs often become the engine of buying decisions. The general dissatisfaction with the not always sustainable activities of fashion brands came to a head in 2018, when the BBC broke the news that the British brand Burberry was burning unsold goods - according to the publication, the total cost of destroyed clothes, accessories and perfumes in 2017 amounted to 28 million pounds ( earlier, according to rumors, Louis Vuitton was seen in this). Social media users outraged by the brand's policy announced a boycott of Burberry - in response to harsh criticism, brand representatives said that they would stop destroying products and give things to charity, and also conclude a contract with Elvis & Kresse, which takes unused materials for the production of new accessories.

Luxury brands are burning unsold products just to keep their notorious exclusivity, and new products, some of which are waiting for the fate already mentioned, rise in prices every year - is it worth saying that the new generation has begun to turn away from new things towards used ones?

In search of more sustainable ways to replenish their wardrobe and quench their thirst for consumerism, shoppers have turned to stores that buy and resell used clothing and accessories - and often there you can find not only worn clothes, but also those that have never been worn by their former owners. . “The advent of Instagram, uberization, dispossession and the growing importance of responsible production and consumption have been factors that have completely changed the consumer habits of generation Z and millennials. All this has created the ideal ground for the growth of the resale market. We know that today most people will wear a thing less than ten times before putting it up for sale,” says Max Bittner, CEO of Vestiaire Collective, one of the most famous resale platforms.

The second, quite logical reason for the growth of resale was its profitability. Vestiaire Collective, The RealReal, Vinted, and others like them often offer heavily discounted items. Let's be frank: if such things still don't have signs of wear, why go to a regular store and buy a thing for the cost of a car, when you can buy it much cheaper on a resale platform and wear it with no less pleasure?

Here one could argue that going to the flagship of Dior and Gucci is a whole ritual, and buying at Matchesfashion, you can feel your involvement in luxury without leaving your home, but here we come to the third reason - today resale platforms no longer resemble a stripped-down version of luxury online stores (as it used to be with the Net-A-Porter The Outnet outlet) - in terms of the quality of the same picture and content, they are almost equal. So, for example, on The RealReal, a selection of trendy items is compiled by the Man Repeller editor, and on Resee (by the way, launched by ex-editors of Vogue and Self-Service), you can find beautiful editorials and collections of famous fashion stylists like Self-Service co-founder Suzanne Keller, right Marie-Amelie Sauve, art director of Louis Vuitton and founder of Mastermind magazine, and Natasha Goldenberg, creative director of TSUM.

“If I were a fashion brand and saw that the used clothing market was growing twenty-one times faster than the overall fashion market, I would immediately ask myself the question:“ How can I hit the jackpot too? ”- says retail consultant Doug Stevens. If the growth rate of fashion brands cannot overtake resale, then why not shake hands with it and start working together? After all, this way you can not only save things from destruction and illegal sale, but also (oh yes) attract new buyers.

One of the first to think about the benefits of a circular economy (that is, based on the renewal of resources) was Stella McCartney, who in 2018 announced a partnership with The RealReal, in which the designer offered anyone who sells her item on the site, a coupon for one hundred dollars - you could spend it in Stella McCartney stores around the world and online. A similar model was adapted in Farfetch - in 2019, the online store launched the Second Life program (albeit in pilot mode so far), under which users can put their designer bags up for sale, and spend the money earned ... on Farfetch.

07:00 15.08.2019

In our country, joint purchases are not regulated or regulated by any special legislative acts, Besides general laws about entrepreneurial activity. Everything is based on the personal initiative and agreements of the buyers. the site understands what is the benefit joint purchases and what are the risks.

What are the benefits of joint purchases?

Individual and joint purchases differ in much the same way as retail and wholesale. In the very advantageous option participants in a joint purchase purchase a product at a wholesale price without a store margin.

Therefore:

• the main benefit of joint procurement participants is low price goods (services), sometimes they pay half the retail price or even less.
• the seller's benefit is lower costs for the sale of the product.

Joint purchases have other advantages:

• inexperienced buyers follow the leaders and are less afraid of fraud when paying;
• it is easier to choose a seller and a product, the client buys the same as others;
• easier and cheaper delivery of the purchased to the consumer;
• negotiations with the seller are conducted by the leader of the group, as a rule, the most competent.

Photo is illustrative, source: pixabay.com

The benefits of joint procurement for the seller is that:

• no need to spend resources on working with individual buyers;
• complex issues are easier to resolve with a representative of the group;
• the participants in the joint purchase themselves are looking for each other.

The last point is especially important for sellers, because. the market for many goods and services is redundant, the main effort falls on finding new customers.

What are joint purchases?

An example of a joint purchase is the pooling of a cow or a pig for meat for several families. Or a joint shopping tour, when participants jointly pay for the road or goods.

However, now the Internet has become the main territory for joint purchases: thematic sites, forums, social media. Therefore, we will continue to consider this option.

How are joint purchases on the Internet organized?

The general scheme of joint purchases is approximately as follows:

1. The initiator of a joint purchase finds a seller of some product or service.
2. Finds out wholesale prices and conditions for their provision. The usual pattern - the greater the volume of purchases, the lower the price.
3. Clarifies other aspects: mandatory assortment, order options, terms and methods of payment, delivery, etc.
4. Having determined the conditions of the seller, the initiator of the joint purchase is looking for other buyers. Most often through the Internet or through personal connections.
5. The one who started the process becomes the leader of the group and the organizer of the joint purchase. He appoints and explains the rules and conditions.
6. Then the group leader collects the orders of the participants, forms a general order and transfers it to the seller.
7. Having received consent for the delivery, the organizer collects the money and transfers it to the seller.
8. He arranges delivery and receives the goods.
9. Informs the group members of the place of distribution of purchases.

Photo is illustrative, source: pixabay.com

An important point is that the organizers of joint purchases most often work for a fee. Their commissions are added to the amount that group members collect for a joint purchase.

This is the general and most common scheme, but there are other options. The organizers do not always receive remuneration from the participants, sometimes group members pay directly to the supplier.

Stable communities appear behind one-time joint purchases, their organizers receive a constant income, create thematic sites and groups in social networks. Group leaders become a kind of resellers, build relationships with sellers, and actively advertise their services.

Buyer slang

In recent years, a certain subculture of joint purchases has formed. New definitions have appeared that explain the nuances of such purchases well:

• JV - joint purchase.
• The organizer of the joint venture is the leader of the group.
• Member of the joint venture - an ordinary member of the group.
• The headman of the joint venture is the assistant to the organizer of the joint venture.
• Moderator - the one who regulates communication within the framework of the joint venture on sites and forums.
• Row - an assortment of goods for mandatory redemption. This is the name of the line of sizes of clothes or shoes. The series may refer to other parameters: weight, quantity, etc.
• Closed row or assembled row - a state when all sizes are distributed among the participants in the purchase.
• Resort - a product of the wrong size, color, etc., erroneously sent by the seller.
• Oversized / undersized - to differ in size from the standards.
• Stop - the moment of termination of orders in the joint venture.
• A successful joint venture is a successfully completed purchase, without claims from the participants.
• Attachment - redeemed items for some reason did not reach the consumer. They are trying to sell them to someone else, to "attach".
• Minimum - the minimum possible purchase amount.
• Org. collection - remuneration of the organizer of the joint venture and funds to compensate for his expenses (the usual amount is 15-20%).
• Payment - payment for the goods already received by the Organizer.
• Prepayment - a preliminary collection of money for a joint venture.
• Pre-order - an order for what is in the seller's offer, but has not yet appeared in the warehouse.
• Redemption - transfer of the purchased to the organizer of the joint venture.
• Analysis of the goods - checking the received by the organizer, checking with the list of orders.
• Distribution - issuance of purchases to the participants of the joint venture.
• Free warehouse - goods in free sale.
• TR - transport costs for the delivery of goods.
• Boast - customer reviews, with product photos.
• ES and SS - respectively black and gray lists of participants in the joint venture who violated the rules.

Such terms are born on forums, are remembered and transferred to other communities. It is desirable to understand them for communication within the framework of the joint venture.