What second-hand fashion offers luxury brands and vice versa

On April 14th, the Vestiaire Collective Resale platform published its barometer of the hottest fashion brands on the Secondhand market. In the luxury handbag category, Chanel leads the ranking with the most product views per user: inside, followed by Louis Vuitton and Hermès. But what do luxury brands win when they shine on the resale market?

Image as an investment

The leather goods from Gucci, which are in 4th place in Vestiaire Collective’s ranking, are enjoying unbroken popularity on the second-hand market. This statement illustrates the continuing level of desirability of the brand, despite the decline in sales for new products in the last quarters. And this popularity proves to be crucial for the long -term attractiveness of their cult articles.

In fact, when luxury items keep a high value on the used goods market, consumers tend to consider it more as an investment than as a mere edition. This can stimulate Neukund: Inside for buying, since you know that you may be able to get part of your money back later-or even make profits if it is about resale of a Birkin bag from Hermès.

This logic, which combines new goods with second-hand products, is currently mainly affecting the classics of the luxury brands. It is therefore not surprising to read in the 2024 of the Kering Group (owner of Gucci) that the sales of leather goods from the brand were stimulated in particular by the success of cult articles such as the Jackie bag, the name of which also appears in the Vestiaire Collective report as one of the favorites on their resale platform.

The prêt-à-porter fashion of the large luxury brands is also in no way inferior. In January 2025, the Maurice Auction Auction House wrote history with the extraordinary sale of a Martin Margiela collection for the record sum (in France) of 1,889,000 euros. Proof that luxury clothing can also become an investment, although leather articles such as handbags are still the most popular category for second-hand products.

At Prêt-à-porters, auction houses play an important role in increasing the value of the pieces. While leather goods can apparently easily do without this sales channel in order to gain value in the eyes of the consumers, clothes need the format of the auction to inspect experts and thus as a serious “system” by the buyers: to be validated inside, which are often more collectors: inside or a museum as a consumer: inside.

Today the investment image associated with luxury prêt-à-porter is still limited. However, it can be stated that auctions of articles of large fashion houses often receive positive media reporting and thus strengthen the prestige of the brand on the new goods market by giving it an image of the cultural heritage. Brands have long accepted this topic and regularly work with large auction houses such as Sotheby’s.

Second-hand market not cannibalizing new goods market

In awareness that they are now considered a way to invest their money by the consumers: Modemarken rank their storytelling more than ever on historical origin and craft. Two crucial arguments that positively influence the value of their products in the second -hand area and at the same time show that the quality in the current collections is still present and not only concerns older models. Because it is not a question of averting consumers: turning away from the new purchase and instead make it tasty to buy, although the fear is overestimated that the second-hand market is cannibalizing the new goods market.

Studies show that a significant part of the buyers: inside of luxury second-hand products from consumers are: inside that these brands would not necessarily have bought at a new price. According to a study by the Boston Consulting Group, 71 percent of second-hand buyers buy: inside brands that they could not afford first-hand. This shows that the second-hand market is expanding consumers: internal basis for luxury brands instead of avert buyers: to avert the inside of new purchase.

Customer: Inner binding and new frequency: internal acquisition

In addition to the influence on the brand image, the second-hand market can also have a direct impact on the sales of new goods thanks to the buyback programs of some brands.

While premium brands usually integrate a second-hand category directly into your online shop, only a few luxury brands do this. However, this does not mean that you do not play an active role on the resale market. Several of them have received partnerships with specialized platforms. These cooperation enable you to do several things: Some of them can benefit directly from the amounts generated by resale their products, tie existing customers: bind inside and win new ones, but above all win back relative control over the downstream supply chain.

The feedback from boutiques and online retailers has long been of the greatest importance: inside for brands and luxury groups such as Kering, Richemont or LVMH. However, this information is lost on the second-hand market. Instead of making room for uncertainty, several brands have regained control of the downstream part of the supply chain, which represents the resale.

For example, Gucci has launched a buyback program with Vestiaire Collective, which offers owners: Inside a pocket of the Florentine brand to evaluate their pieces in the authorized boutiques and have it bought back. In return, Neukund: Inside a credit that you can redeem in certain sales outlets of the brand. The Chloé fashion house offers a similar system, as well as with Vestiaire Collective.

“Today we count more than a dozen partners: most publicly, others still in the pilot stage,” explains Vestiaire Collective by email when we ask “Brand Approved” after the service introduced in 2021.

The functionality of the service takes place according to the following principle: The customer is asked to submit your articles inside. The platform then submits a tailor -made surrender offer within 48 hours. After receipt in the camp of Vestiaire Collective, the partner brand, which has made the service possible, notifies and exhibits the seller: inside a voucher. Vestiaire Collective emphasizes that the number of his partners: inside has been increasing since the opening of the service.

Chanel, one of the most popular luxury brands on the second-hand market, has also expressed their interest in regaining control over the life cycle of their sold products. According to the Medium Glitz, the French fashion house has been using heavyweights from the luxury second-hand market for more than five years in order to collect as much information as possible as possible as possible, particularly sought-after models and the like about the potential of this segment.

Limitless relationships with customers: inside

Although luxury brands open up the second-hand market through partnerships with specialized companies, the life of the products could still slip after the first sale if they do not decide to integrate NFC or RFID chips into their products. These technologies enable, among other things, to know whether the article is brought back to circulation on the second-hand market, but that’s not all.

The other big advantage is that the NFC or RFID chip can make a direct connection between the brand and the owner: in a product, even if it was bought. After scanning, the brand can communicate personalized content such as care instructions, offer exclusive services (maintenance, free authentication) and even encourage resale on a partner platform.

The combination of second -hand and technologies such as electronic chips enables luxury brands to expand their customers: internal relationship far beyond the usual borders. A Chanel bag sold in Paris can land in Lagos or Seoul a few months later. With an NFC or RFID chip, the luxury house is able to identify where the product circulates, even without physically present, and can create a first connection with buyer: inside in a region that has not been covered. Customers: Inner relationship becomes almost limitless.