After becoming one of the most popular online second-hand marketplaces in Europe, Vinted has its sights set on the USA. While it has been going through early testing in the country, it hopes to eventually expand this into a full-scale rollout, especially after encouraging early results.

However, this expansion may not be easy, as there’s plenty of competition within the American marketplace. But with the second-hand market exploding recently, there’s plenty of demand for platforms like Vinted in the USA, not only for shoppers, but also for sellers that are drawn to the platform’s lack of a seller’s fee.

Vinted Hoping to Compete in the U.S. Market

While Vinted is certainly most popular and well-known in Europe, the company is planning to take over the U.S. market next. The marketplace is currently in the early-testing stages of its expansion into the USA, but is encouraged by the results so far, and we could soon see a larger rollout if things continue to progress for the company.

In fact, Wells Fargo analysts covering eBay have said that the daily active users of Vinted in the USA have grown more than six times in the second quarter from a year earlier. But what brings these customers to Vinted and what does the platform offer that other major players in the American market don’t?

First of all, Vinted sets itself apart by having zero seller fees, instead deciding to charge a small fee to buyers. It also focuses on casual, everyday fast-fashion, as opposed to high-end and luxury brands and items. Finally, things like its streamlined peer-to-peer shipping and infrastructure also help to set it apart.

It Has Heavy Competition in the U.S. Second-Hand Market

If and when it fully rolls out in the states, Vinted will be greeted by plenty of competition. The American second-hand market is already quite crowded with the likes of eBay, Depop, Poshmark, ThredUp, and Facebook Marketplace.

Many of these brands have been in the market for much longer, and already have plenty of dedicated buyers and sellers using their platforms.

However, some of these competitors may already be taking some hints from how Vinted operates. For example, soon after Vinted made its debut in New York, eBay offered zero selling fees in certain categories for a brief period.

But while some companies are taking hints from Vinted, the company is also taking inspiration from other major brands around the world. 

For example, the CEO of the company, Thomas Plantenga, said that “I read a ton of busi­ness reports from Amazon, Mer­cad­oLibre, Mer­cari, Costco on how they work, what they do, and we’ve picked the ele­ments of the best com­pan­ies in the world to build a trans­ac­tional mar­ket­place for C2C which nobody’s ever built,”.

But despite the big plans for Vinted in the USA, Plantenga is well aware of the challenging road ahead, as he also said that “Whether we will be able to actu­ally com­pete and win in that mar­ket is a very big ques­tion,”.

It remains to be seen how Vinted handles the existing competition, but the early growth the company is seeing there, and the differentiating factors it has (such as no seller’s fee), could help it succeed.

The Second-Hand Market is Booming

But while there’s plenty of competition for Vinted to deal with, there also may be enough demand to go around, as the second-hand market is exploding. In fact, the global second-hand apparel market is expected to reach nearly $370 billion by 2027, a dramatic rise from the $227 billion value in 2024.

Also, the second-hand market is expected to grow around two to three times faster than the first-hand market, largely driven by people looking to spend less and find deals. The taboo around buying second-hand clothing and other goods is also going away, which could drive more people to these second-hand platforms.

There’s no doubt that second-hand shopping is becoming mainstream, as 52% of people have sold an item on an online marketplace, and this number jumps to 58% for Gen Z and 62% for Millennials.

Our Take

Ecommerce Sellers Need to Prepare for Vinted’s Presence

While Vinted is still in early-stage testing in the USA, there’s a good chance it’ll eventually expand into a full rollout where it’ll look to compete with the giants in the space, something which sellers need to prepare for.

Because the zero seller fee model may attract buyers, especially those who prioritize cost and value, many sellers will need to either shift platforms or cut their prices to be able to compete with Vinted sellers.

If you don’t price competitively once Vinted comes to town, or start selling on Vinted yourself, you may see many of your budget-conscious shoppers go elsewhere. However, sellers who immediately switch to Vinted or make it a large part of their plans also need to remember that its buyer-fee model isn’t proven with U.S customers, and some may be apprehensive about it.

So while selling on Vinted may be the best financial decision for sellers, they need to ensure buyers are on board, as well.