Used clothes, more than fashion

I Don't know if this is bad news for the Renaissance boutiques, the Village of values and the Salvation Army. But the European giant vinted arrives in Canada.

Broadly speaking, it is a Kijiji specialized in clothing and accessories. But its business model makes it easier for individuals to deal with each other. Vinted secures payments, manages delivery and even allows returns and refunds.

Since its foundation in Lithuania in 2008, the platform has proved its worth. It now has 45 million members in 14 countries, including France, Spain and Germany. This makes it the European leader in its niche.

"Canada is our highest priority outside Europe," said Maud Behaghel, Director of Corporate Strategy. Even though the vinted app has been present in the United States since 2013, this market does not benefit from investments for its development.

If there was a time when wearing used clothes was an embarrassment, this is clearly not the case today. It's rather seen as ecological, economic, modern. Noble, even.

As a result, it's exploding. As much in Europe as in the United States and here.

It must be said that business models are multiplying and refining. There are shops, websites, applications, systems of exchange, rental, deposit. Even Simons jumped into the boat.

Vinted takes advantage of the craze. At the beginning of May, the Lithuanian unicorn raised €250 million (can $370 million) to support its international expansion, among other things. Its value is over $5 billion. It is supported by six large venture capital companies.

There are clothing and accessories for women, men and children. Prices are reasonable.

The advantage of these high-end websites-apart from the deals you can find there-is that they ensure the authenticity of the merchandise. This is also the sales point of LXRandCo, a specialist in second-hand handbags. Before we buy a $20,995 Birkin Hermes model online, we want to make sure it's a real one.

On Vinted's side, it's different. The platform plays essentially the role of technology matchmaker, as do PAC, eBay and Facebook.

But it goes further by adding a layer of "professionalism" to transactions. "our offer is unique," says Maud Behaghel, in that vinted provides customer service and secure payments, costing buyers 5% of the item price and a fixed fee of $1.10. "our offer is unique," says Maud Behaghel, in that vinted provides customer service and secure payments, costing buyers 5% of the item price and a fixed fee of $1.10.

For delivery, the seller only has to print the shipping label transmitted by vinted in order to ship his parcel free of charge (the invoice is borne by the buyer). "Shipping costs are high in Canada. We worked hard to offer a reasonable fee at 99 ¢, "says Maud Behaghel.

There is no doubt that, thanks to new technologies and environmental challenges, the circular economy is rapidly democratizing.

Dans la mode, son poids économique est déjà grand. Un récent rapport d’experts en évaluait la valeur potentielle à 5300 milliards de dollars américains¹. Le document a été réalisé en collaboration avec le magazine Vogue Business. Même les fashionistas ne snobent plus les vêtements d’occasion.

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The idea of optimizing resources is gradually gaining in all sorts of areas. Including construction.

Early this winter, BizBiz Global and APCHQ launched a unique platform that allows contractors to sell surplus materials or lease unused equipment. Called BizBiz Construction, the site is also a new alternative for deconstruction companies.

The same goes for overpurchased materials. At the end of the work, they were usually on their way to the dump. Misery …

The good thing, in the current context, is that BizBiz Construction is not just dealing with environmental issues. It is a "powerful tool to address material shortages," says Pierre Daigneault. And to reduce construction costs.

The BizBiz share platform, belonging to the same SME, allows manufacturing companies from all walks of life (transport, pharmaceuticals, agribusiness) to rent their equipment that sleeps between two projects. The model is modelled on Airbnb.

In both fashion and construction, value for money is a matter of common sense.