LAncient as a community resale platform for clothing between individuals, vintéd begins a major strategic inflection. With the ephemeral opening of its “House of Vinted” space in London, accessible only by invitation, the Lithuanian unicorn explores a territory hitherto reserved for premium fashion brands: that of physical experience, rarity and staging of desirability.
The point of sale as a image lever
If we will not be able to buy anything on site – the parts presented will only be available online from March 25 – the store is not primarily intended to sell. She aims to embody a Symbolic uprightby capitalizing on the strength of physical retail. The latter active in emotional levers inaccessible to digital: touch, smell, sound atmosphere, space … The effort necessary to get there, combined with a carefully chosen location, gives instead a form of sacralization. In brand communication, this type of operation is Valuation by the framework : We no longer sell a product, we write a brand in an experience.
Competitive pressure and growth erosion
This change of posture comes while Vinted sees its growth dynamic flourishing, especially under the effect of the rise of ultra fast fashion. Actors like Shein, Temu or Primark flood the market with products at floor prices, carried by massive investments in online acquisition. Their offensive diverts part of the young public and sensitive to the price, historically target of Vinted. In this context, The battle of attention is no longer played only on the ground of offerbut on that of perception.
The second hand becomes a two -speed industry
More broadly, the second -hand market is in full structuring. On the one hand, start-ups like Lumber Allow fashion brands (Sandro, Ba & SH, Isabel Marant) to regain control of the resale of their own pieces. On the other, the giants of the sector, like Collective cloakroomare essential with an ultra-premium approach and reinforced quality control.
At the bottom of the market, the proliferation of clothes from Fast Fashion fuels collection bins and complicates the logistics chain. The cost of treatment, sorting and restoration becomes an economic subject in its own right.
From the transactional platform to the aspirational brand
Vinter seems to operate a progressive sliding: From the functional platform to the lifestyle brand. By creating a place without direct sale, accessible only by invitation, and relayed by a casting of carefully selected influencers, the company adopts the codes of desire communication. She no longer sells a used product, she tells a new way of consuming, more conscious but always sucked up.
It remains to be seen whether this symbolic repositioning will be followed by an evolution of the economic model – or if it is only a punctual spotlight intended to breathe breathe with a growth in speed. In any case, The second hand enters a new phase of sophisticationwhere the image has as much as functionality, and where the border between luxury, circularity and brand strategy becomes more and more porous.
