The growth of shopping online is growing fast, with a huge market where everybody can find a place for themselves. Get on board and follow our steps on where to sell online clothes as a growing clothing business or as a seller of used personal clothes for side income.
Both of these have their own markets. If you are selling new clothes as a brand with new styles, or as a fashion designer, you need to visit sites and apps where you can offer your clothes to customers.
Right now, you are on the step where you have developed your business and realized your business idea and now it’s time to bring your product close to customers. The thing is that people often make a mistake thinking that’s enough to have a great brand and good quality, but soon after, they crash because of lack of marketing and good selling place.
If you want to avoid that, it is important not to forget to invest in good marketing and to find places, apps, and sites that are known to be successful and well attended by customers. Here are some of the most desirable selling places for you to join and improve your selling rate.
How to prepare clothes for selling online?
Before we start with a description of places for selling clothes, let’s see how to prepare clothes and what are the things that we need to consider when selling.
- First: Set the price that suits your item. Don’t set a high price but also avoid selling cheap. You can also attract buyers with free shipping for consignment.
- Second: Be aware of what is halal and what is haram to sell. Avoid selling revealing clothes and clothes that are forbidden in Islam ( for example, shorts, high heels, transparent T-shirts and dresses, swimsuits, and similar)
- Third: Create pretty images with nice designed background. make sure to take more photos from all sides so that shoppers can see the shape and condition of the items.
- Fourth: Good descriptions. Tell details about your items, material, size, intended for women or men, what’s on labels, prices, is there exchange option, if it’s made by hand or repaired and similar.
How and where can I sell my clothes online?
There are two options:
- Create a website – this method is for people who want to make a serious business from selling clothes online (special brand, print on demand, new style clothing, and similar, but it can also be used for people who want to sell used clothes )
- Using online and already existing marketplaces and stores for selling clothes – choosing this method is simpler for people who want to sell clothes occasionally, especially used and personal clothes for side income but it can still be used for serious business strategy because we are going to list marketplaces where you can register as a seller and sell your clothing brand.
Get more resources and tools to start and grow a business here
When choosing the second method you can decide between many options. You can use a selling app, marketplace, or social platform.
Here is a list of online places to sell if you are starting a clothing business with a new brand:
- Noor and Zafir
- Ummazing
- eBay
- Facebook marketplace
- East Essence
- Halaal.market
- Amazon
List of places where to sell used clothes:
- ThredUp
- Poshmark
- Depop
- Tradesy
- Vinted
- Mercari
- Realreal
- Etsy
Every one of these is specialized in its own way and we will explain how they function so you can find your style and the best method that suits you.
Where to Sell Online Clothes
Here is a list of online places to sell if you are starting a clothing business with a new brand:
1.Noor and Zafir
Noor and Zafir is a lifestyle marketplace started in this period of the global pandemic and its halal and Islamic oriented marketplace where people can buy Islamic clothing and other products.
This site is functioning in a way that you need to make an account and register to become one of their sellers and part of the community. It is very easy to use and they do the marketing part for you which is a great plus.
Using this marketplace you can reach customers globally and they don’t have subscription fees. There is only a commission fee that needs to be paid after you have sold the product. It’s a great opportunity for startups and new brands.
2.Ummazing
Ummazing is also the halal marketplace where you can sell your clothes and it’s based in the United Kingdom. It’s a free platform for Muslim-friendly businesses. Sellers on this platform can sell only clothes in regulation with Islam, but non-Muslim sellers are also welcome if they want to follow regulations.
To be part of this community you need to register and confirm your email address and that you have a valid Paypal account. Before registration, you have to read the term and conditions that apply to the purchase and sales. As a seller, you need to find all conditions acceptable if you want to join.
3.eBay
eBay is a very popular site and a little bit old fashion, but it’s a great place for selling where you can set up your clothing business and have higher prices because they have cheaper fees than other apps.
There are different ways to sell on eBay:
- selling item with fixed price
- selling item at auction
- option where the buyer can submit their best offer
On eBay, you need to be specific with descriptions because people are searching for specific stuff, make sure to keep your listings professional, use perfect pictures, and use keywords properly.
The advantage of eBay is that it has been in business since 1995, so you can reach a huge market instantly.
4.Facebook marketplace
Facebook marketplace is very useful for startups and it’s without any costs on fees and subscriptions.
How to use it? Click on the Marketplace icon on your Facebook app and then you will be able to list your products by clicking on the “Sell Something” button.
In this way, you can sell in your area and you have direct contact with the buyer. You can choose to meet with customers in different locations or to ship directly to their address, but if you are having bigger business it’s easier for you to just use shipping methods. Also, it’s your decision which payment method you will use.
Facebook has 2.20 billion active monthly users, which means more people will see what you sell.
Next to its global reach, this is also a local business, so you can use Facebook ads as a marketing strategy where you can choose a certain location that your ad will cover.
5.East Essence
East Essence is a very successful Muslim-friendly marketplace where business owners sell to millions of customers all around the world. On this site, you can have your own store with listed items. First, you need to apply for store approval and also all your items need to be approved by East Essence.
It’s a great place for fashion designers with unique clothing lines and items because East Essence is constantly looking for refreshments and different from currently selling items on their site.
Shipping is done by the seller and the seller needs to agree with website policies, fees, and shipping terms.
There is no previous investment, this site is offering promotions through their media and marketing channels. As a member and a seller, you only pay 20% of the commission from each sale.
6.Instagram
If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and you know how to use social media, turn into ears.
It’s not like other methods and sites, but if you are creative you can sell whatever you want on Instagram. The best part is that there is no fee for listing items, and you are your own boss when it comes to marketing strategy and pricing.
A good tip for starting this selling method is to create a separate account from your personal one and to use creative hashtags so people can find you easily. Also, prepare a Paypal account before starting your sale.
7.Halaal.market
One more halal market for Muslim customers and Muslim businesses.
On Halaal.market, registration is free and it has the option to create your own product catalog. The big advantage is that they have Advisors that will help you with opening your business online giving you full assistance. Also, you can take free training that includes tips related to running a business online.
When it comes to fees, there is a 0% fee on the listing, but they have a 3% final value fee which is great in comparison that you have a huge market with 1.5 billion shoppers, seller protection, and business support.
8.Amazon
Amazon is a place we’ve all heard of. Because of its popularity, when people shop on Amazon, they have a feeling of trustworthiness and general approval. They feel safe to shop on this site what makes this site a great beginning for your startup business.
When it comes to fees, here you need to pay a monthly fee for listing products if you sell in high quantities.
Where to Sell Your Used Clothes Online
Now, let’s see the marketplaces where you can sell your preloved clothes.
1.Poshmark
Poshmark is on the list of best places to sell online. The reason for that is that you can sell here quickly.
You can start by downloading the app, and publishing photos of your items. Make your photos creative and interesting so that customers see the difference between your style and other sellers.
When you do sales on Poshmark, shipping is already determined. Priority boxes will be provided for you from USPS with pre-paid labels. Only this is that Poshmark adds a charge of a 20 percent fee.
Also, don’t be confused when people start to negotiate with a price on this site, that a normal thing.
2.Depop
If you have some unique items like vintage clothing or shoes, then Depop is right for you. This site is made in a way that is similar to Instagram and eBay. If you want to succeed here you really need to pay attention to images, simply said, you need to reach perfection with the design and usage of keyword and brand hashtags if you want customers to find you.
One more thing, Depop’s fee is 10 percent on everything that you sell and payment is going via Paypal.
3.Tradesy
Tradesy is perfect if you have a lot of different items to sell. Here you are not limited on types of item, you can sell different accessories, for example, handbags. Whatever you have in your closet that it’s in good condition you can sell it here.
As you can sell different items, you can take creative pictures of whole outfits to be more attractive to customers, for example, a jacket with other pieces of clothes that go together like the same color dress and unique bag and jewelry. Be creative, think like a designer.
On this site, you need to know that they have a commission of USD7.50 per piece that is under USD50, and what’s over USD50, it’s going to be charged 19.8%.
4.Vinted
Vinted is really easy to use, here you can list your items for free and all you need to do is to wait for your customers.
If you want to attract more customers, a great way to do that is to offer discounts and bonuses. Customers often like to observe the difference between sellers, so make sure that you attract them to you.
In that way, they will always return to buy from you.
5.Mercari
Mercari is one more app where you can sell everything. Some of the advantages of this app are:
- very easy to use
- low shipping costs if you use their prepaid labels
- option to choose who is paying the shipping, you or the customer
- there is a policy of 3 days for returning the item – after three days you have no obligations to the item anymore
- there is a 10% fee which is similar to other stores and apps
- buyers have their rating so you can choose with who you will do business
6.Realreal
The “Realreal“ is a very fashionable site where you can join if you are selling designer items that are high-end fashion. That means that you can offer to sell only brands like Prada, Louis Vitton, Gucci, Channel, and similar.
This site is functionating in a way that they sell for you. Your obligation is to consign items that you want to sell by using their already organized pick-up service and a prepaid label. Also, you can go by yourself to one of their offices to deliver.
After your item arrives, it’s going to be authenticated. Then, they will take a picture of your item, assess the value, set the price, and sell it for you.
7.Etsy
Etsy is a very popular online platform for selling and it is designed for people who want to sell homemade, crafty, and vintage clothing. So, if you have something that it has a brand tag, it’s not going to happen.
The only option is to sell homemade items or items old enough to be considered vintage (at least 20 years old). Your obligation on this platform is to pay a %0.20 listing fee. Other costs are very small also, when your item is sold you will be charged with a small commission.
With this platform maybe there will be more work to do, but that is nothing in comparison that you can start a real business here and make a progress.
Conclusion
Those were methods and places how to sell your new or used clothes.
New businesses need a great selling place so the best option is to choose a very successful place that a lot of customers recognize as a safe place to shop. Unworn clothes you own that are no longer interesting to you can be someone’s favorite piece in the closet so don’t throw away your old and unused clothes. Instead, you can earn some extra cash or open a small business from it.
Opportunities for business are all around us, we just need to notice them.
Nedma Aganovic is from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Her Engineering degree is in Petroleum Drilling and Exploration. She is also a writer where gained experience in writing creative, business and research articles. As a student, she was working as an online teacher.
