“Thanks, it’s from Vinted” is a common phrase overheard in the Salterbaxter office. We will proudly regale each other with tales of months spent avoiding new clothing, instead favouring Vinted’s smart second-hand algorithm. So when Vinted recently overtook the likes of H&M, Zara, and even Amazon(!) to become France’s top fashion retailer, it got us thinking.
Vinted’s ascent is undeniably a win for circular business models, proving they can compete as serious business contenders. But are consumers shopping at Vinted because it’s the ‘more sustainable’ option? Not exactly. Vinted’s recent Impact Report shows that nearly half of their users choose to buy second-hand for the savings, while only 19% do so because they believe it’s the right thing to do (though this figure is higher in France). Vinted has hit the jackpot in that they’ve managed to create and scale a circular business model that’s cheap, convenient and guilt-free - not by leading with sustainability.
Still, the ripple effects are promising. WRAP found that every five items bought second-hand online stops three new purchases. Vinted’s member survey echoes this, noting 65% of users prefer to buy fewer, expensive, and high-quality items over higher volumes of cheap items. These are all promising statistics, but this narrative doesn’t quite match up with what you’re faced with as you scroll through the vast quantities of fast-fashion items flooding the platform. At one point in 2024, Vinted listed 61.8 million Zara garments, 59.7 million H&M items, and 21.8 million Shein pieces. Such staggering volumes suggest overproduction and overconsumption remain serious underlying issues.
So is resale solving fashion’s waste problem or just enabling more consumption?
Vinted deserves credit for keeping clothes in circulation and out of landfill as well as shaping a model others can learn from - combining personalisation, smart algorithms, and a slick user experience. But resale alone won’t cut it if it doesn’t displace new production. And with Shein and Amazon still among France’s top five retailers, fast fashion isn’t going anywhere!
Vestiaire Collective has tried to tackle this by banning 30 fast fashion brands. Vinted takes a different view, reflecting consumer habits rather than trying to change them. It argues bans won’t shift behaviour, and may just create more waste.
Ultimately, Vinted’s success is just a part of the solution. Real change requires shifts across production, consumption and disposal, backed by stronger regulation. But one thing’s clear: sustainability will only scale if it’s paired with what people want. We must meet consumers where they are, not where we wish they’d be.