How to Sell Your Clothes Online
A guide of tips and tricks for success:
65% of secondhand clothing purchases in the US and UK prevented the purchase of something new according to a report done by the luxury retailer Farfetch. An increasing number of eco-conscious Millennials and Gen Zers are identifying that by buying and selling clothes on resale platforms they can save money and even create a second stream of income. We have compiled a guide to help you successfully sell your clothes online whether you're a beginner or a seasoned veteran looking to boost sales.
Firstly, you need to prove the reliability and authenticity of both you and the product you’re selling.
Select a profile picture that shows who you are
The first way you can improve your reliability is by filling out all the information on your profile, such as setting your profile picture. By adding a high quality profile picture (preferably one of yourself), it helps potential buyers see you as a real person and not an anonymous account out to scam them.
Point out the flaws in your product
Don’t be scared to point out the flaws in your product, this shows you are an honest and professional reseller and further establishes credibility with your buyer. Second hand shoppers are used to items having small flaws, they expect it. They are often willing to overlook this in place of getting a great deal on a designer item. So be honest with your customer, this leads to a great experience for them when they receive the item and find it’s exactly as described. They’ll be more likely to shop with you in the future.
Respond to messages
When potential buyers message you to further inquire about the product, provide them with the information honestly, politely and swiftly (otherwise the buyer may no longer be interested in what you're selling). Doing this consistently will help you build up a good track record. If your buyer found that you were polite and provided additional information, they are likely to buy from you again or recommend your account to a friend.
Post and share often
By posting frequently, your items can show up at the top of the feed which helps more people find your closet.
Share your wardrobe
On Storey, you can upload your wardrobe, even if you have no intent of selling those items. By uploading your wardrobe, it helps prove your account is authentic as people can see, for example, that you enjoy luxury items and in fact own a couple of designer handbags so it's very unlikely the Chanel handbag you are selling is a fake. As opposed to a no-name account selling a Chanel handbag, people are far more likely to buy from the account that has their closet uploaded.
Livestream!
This may be a bit of a new concept to a lot in the western world but selling your products online is catching fire in the east. Recently, the famous Chinese blogger, Viya, sold 3 billion yuan (424 million USD) worth of products on her livestream. By livestreaming the clothes you want to sell, it proves to potential buyers that you own the product. They can see the condition of the product first hand, which helps them feel more confident about purchasing the item. You could live stream on social media apps such as Instagram or Tiktok for free to attract buyers on both your resale and social media platform. Or you could livestream within Storey, our livestream feature allows you to go live while your potential buyers scroll through your closet at the same time.
Take your own pictures
Perhaps one of the most important tips, it's so important you take good quality pictures to post on the resale platform. Buyers are more inclined to check out what you have for sale if your pictures look nice. Before you take the pictures, freshen up your items. For clothing, wash and launder your items removing any wrinkles so they look crisp in the photo. For leather shoes and bags, use a leather conditioner to soften and reduce the appearance of any scuffs or wear. While taking your pictures, ensure you have taken a couple from different angles and that there is good lighting. Storey automatically imports a photo from the retailer’s websites for any item you add with our automatic upload feature. If the item is brand new, you can safely resell with this picture alone. However, if it has any wear or imperfections, it’s important to share that information with the customer by including additional photos of the current state of the item
Be honest about changes to the product
If you have altered the clothing item to fit you better, cropped the shirt by yourself or if you have added embroidery to the previously plain top, add that information about the product in its description box. Being honest about changes to the product, it could help your product seem more appealing and even seem rather limited edition which means its more likely to be bought quickly. You might even be able to charge more for these items since consumers are beginning to value the time and effort required for custom embroidery and hand-painted pieces.
