From Wardrobe to Web store: Here’s how to start a Resale Business

From the conceptual to the practical, learn the ins and outs of starting and managing your resale business.

Over the past 10 years the designer resale ecosystem has taken the fashion economy by storm. The unfettered stream of creativity, culture, and social creation has had ramifications on every facet of fashion. For fashion enthusiasts these reverberations have not gone unnoticed, tantalising their desires to establish their own resale store. However there are many pitfalls that line this irresistible opportunity. To combat this KURB has outlined a short guide for how to participate in this brave new fashion resale world while avoiding common trappings.

DON’T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB. Off the bat it’s important to scrutinise the hypnotic success of more mature resale vendors. Of those that pursue reselling very few make it economically sustainable, so when you’re starting off - test the waters a bit. Conviction can go far, but not at the cost of you undermining your financial security.

Have a solid foundation

Members of KURB have existed at all levels of the designer resale ecosystem, as consumers, vendors, franchise thrift store employees, fashion academic researchers and have identified important aspects that successful stores possess. While there are only a handful of renowned vendors, they eclipse the plethora of growing vendors which also exist in the space. So how does a newly started vendor distinguish itself and create the best opportunity to sustainably exist? Here are a few common traits among stores we noticed that have fostered that staying power:

• Game recognise game. It’s critical to leverage your innate understanding and zeal for fashion whether it be through research, historical perspective, or paying homage to design history. This garners trust from people who share that scientific interest in fashion while offering an entryway for new people to understand your brand's offering. Seldom do resale vendors achieve sustainability even after years of growth- so it’s important that something outside of the monetary opportunity is rewarding. That can come from the scientific interest in fashion, social networking opportunities, or artistic desire to curate beautiful clothing for someone to discover themselves. 

• Diverse sourcing. In this competitive landscape sourcing the clothing can be an immense challenge. KURB’s search tool can help streamline access to international collections second hand and can give you an advantage in finding sought after items for better prices. Sourcing comes with the ability to fully immerse yourself in fashion while navigating the resale terrain, and our platform helps you to do so as seamlessly as possible. A mix of learning how to best use KURB and being vigilant on the market can go a long way to establishing an impressive stock of designer clothing.

• Curatorial excellence. This heavily depends on knowing what to buy, and is where someone’s domain knowledge of the space and fashion research are critical assets to identifying what is strategic for your store. However, that is only part of the challenge. What is also important is solidifying a visual language and style of presenting the clothing that distinguishes your store. Typically vendors stage their clothing using mannequins, or laid flat on the floor; however among resellers what is clear is that they tune elements of these formats to be emblematic of their own brand. Having a plan to develop that recognition through curation is a vital component for a vendor to excel.

• Authenticity. Though growing rapidly, resale fashion remains a relatively unestablished field; in terms of branding and self-expression there is no “right” way to do things except for a set of key principles that apply to branding as a whole. Asking yourself the fundamental questions of: “why should I exist?”, “what do I offer that’s different from my peers?”, “and how does my vision translate into my tonality and visuals?”, etc are questions that will help guide you in finding your unique voice. If fashion marketing has taught us anything, it’s that people are drawn to a combination of authenticity, consistency and an unwavering conviction in the vision. It can be helpful observing what others are doing, but only insofar as it doesn’t eclipse your own values and tastes. Given the infancy of the resale market, being ruthlessly “different” may in fact even get you further than blindly following what others are doing. But this will always be a balance that you’ll need to uphold in your own way. And remember, as cliché as it can sound: making it is a marathon, not a race.

Risk mitigated store building

Any new business endeavour entails an element of risk, this is even more so the case when dealing in the dynamic market of designer resale clothing. The risk is not just financial but can also extend into a mental and physical load that can intensify during turbulent times. And as the business continues to grow, expect more challenges to accompany the successes, as such it’s important to apply a learned approach. This is all to say that there are no free lunches, the space is intensively competitive, and you should carefully manage your engagement in relation to what your goals are. 

That said, there are integral practices you can employ when starting off that will mitigate that risk. Utilising free to list resale marketplaces like Vinted, Vestiaire Collective, Grailed and Depop can be extremely advantageous. Listing on these marketplaces can act as a test-bed for your curations, staging method, stylistic nuance among other critical foundational elements while efficiently publicising your stock to a large cohort of consumers. Despite the costs incurred by operating on a marketplace, the low-risk learning experiences garnered can be invaluable for an early resale store. Many users on marketplaces operate as small stores in themselves enabling them to establish foundational elements of their store and brand, while facilitating the opportunity for carving out a clientele. When a store achieves substantial maturity and traction it can be strategic to apply the lessons learned from resale marketplaces when constructing a dedicated social media presence such as on Instagram or Tiktok. This can be advantageous when looking to appeal to a private clientele, escape some of the costs associated with marketplaces, and nurture a more tailored store vision. KURB has curated a diverse selection of stores on our vendors page that you can research before venturing into the space to ensure a more sure footing. Instagram will always be a surefire way to expose your brand, enhance your engagement and nurture relationships with your customers, while simultaneously serving as a legitimization of your brand as a whole. However operating solely on marketplaces and social media platforms is a double edged sword due to their creative and operational limitations. At a certain point of a store's maturity a strong business case for producing a more concrete digital presence arises, often resulting in the creation of a dedicated website. Fortunately making a website today seldom entails having to know everything associated with making an e-commerce platform. There are several out-of-the-box solutions for someone wanting to spread their online resale wings by embarking on a dedicated website.

Shopify, Squarespace and WooCommerce are the popular resale webstore builders that offer out of the box website solutions equipped for clothing resellers. Each service appeals to a different kind of user and boasts their own unique merits, but ultimately the selection boils down to someone's aptitude for learning. However, becoming fluent in these technologies never hurts; these skills can be transferable to other e-commerce pursuits.

Shopify

Best for ease and scalability, catering to stores who want a plug-and-play store with integrated tools with steps:

1. Sign Up at Shopify and start a free trial.

2. Pick a Theme (suggested: Dawn for minimalist design).

3. Add Products: Upload product images, descriptions, and set pricing.

4. Set Up Payment Methods (Shopify Payments, PayPal, Stripe, etc.).

5. Organize Collections: Create categories for brands, styles, or conditions.

6. Install Apps: Use apps like Rewind (backup), Loox (reviews), or Klaviyo (email marketing).

7. Customize Policies (Returns, Shipping, Terms & Conditions).

8. Launch & Market: Set up Instagram Shopping, run ads, and connect with influencers.

Squarespace

Best for simplicity while enabling appealing designs over e-commerce features with steps:

1. Sign Up at Squarespace and choose an eCommerce plan.

2. Pick a Template (suggested: Almar, Galapagos for a clean fashion look).

3. Add Products: Upload designer items with high-quality images.

4. Configure Payment & Shipping: Use Stripe, PayPal, or Apple Pay.

5. Create Collections & Navigation: Organize by designer, size, or category.

6. Enable SEO & Social Integration: Connect to Instagram, optimize meta descriptions.

7. Customize Store Policies (returns, shipping, authenticity guarantees).

8. Go Live & Market: Use built-in email marketing and promotions.
   

WooCommerce 

Best for flexibility and low costs, favouring tech savvy users who want full control and lower cost with steps:

1. Buy a Domain & Hosting (Recommended: SiteGround, Bluehost).

2. Install WordPress & WooCommerce Plugin (Download WooCommerce).

3. Pick a Theme (Suggested: Astra or Flatsome for fashion stores).

4. Set Up Products: Upload product images, descriptions, and pricing.

5. Configure Payment & Shipping (Stripe, PayPal, bank transfer).

6. Install Essential Plugins:

   • Yoast SEO (SEO optimization)

   • Elementor (custom design)

   • WooCommerce Bookings (if offering rental options)

7. Set Up Legal Pages & Policies.

Launch & Market: Run Google Ads, use influencer marketing.

Accurate as of 08/04/2025

Which One Should You Choose?

• Choose Shopify if you want an all-in-one platform with minimal setup.

• Choose Squarespace if you prioritize design and branding.

• Choose WooCommerce if you want full control and lower costs.

Getting out there

Gaining traction is a critical component to any business. Social Media algorithm magic aside, understanding how to leverage trends and content on Instagram has made entire designer resale empires. Many of the biggest resellers in the space could credit much of their success to understanding how to optimise their fellowship on social media, typically utilising several in tandem. Finding fun, exciting and novel ways of communicating your resale stock is essential. Some stores excel in historically contextualising clothing, others in finding humorous and signature staging methods, and some simply possess an intense consistency in being able to reliably source second-hand clothing that they almost become the de facto reference. Taking advantage of market events like Second Life Markets can also be an ecstatic avenue to explore. They are excellent opportunities to share your enthusiasm with customers and like-minded businesses while offering a wholly new angle in which the brand can be communicated. Some of these markets can also be great ways to network with similar businesses, implicitly operating like conferences for vendors in the space. Business and brand aspects aside, it can be thrilling to present yourself beyond the digital realm in a curated space with the pursuit to communicate your business and curation in ways photos and communication online fail to do. There is no single recipe to gaining traction, what’s essential is to distinguish your store, allowing it to rise above the chaff- creativity is key.

We have highlighted some of the considerations when developing a resale brand but the science of developing a resale store is a world unto itself. While we propose growing from a marketplace to an Instagram account to a website to ensure resale success, what can’t be understated is strategy. There is no such thing as being too prepared, researching thoroughly, deeply and diversely- your business acumen is a skill and will reflect in your store's success. Though we can outline all the mistakes we know, there will always be mistakes we can only know by trying, so give it a shot and learn from your mistakes!

Finally, if you’re an existing store or soon to be a store feel free to reach out to us on Discord, Instagram or email in at contact@kurb.online! We’re always on the lookout for new stores to include on our search to but are even more eager to collaborate through interviews or otherwise with stores, especially those who share that enthusiasm.