James Reinhart on Turning Trash into Treasure in the Resale Industry |

Written by Aja Frost @ajavuu | Sep 10, 2019 11:05:37 PM

In 2009, long before the “resale market” had picked up steam, thredUP incorporated. Now, 10 years later, they’ve raised over $300m in funding, including a new $175m round announced in August. They also introduced a new platform powering apparel resale for retailers and brands.

But it took Reinhart awhile to understand thredUP’s unique advantage. How’d he do it? By constantly talking to his customers — and asking a few key questions. We talked to Reinhart about how thredUP found its footing, and how he created demand for a product that, at the time, no one was talking about.

Takeaways

  • Want to find out who your main competition is? Ask your customers what they would use if your company didn’t exist
  • To win at a secondhand marketplace, make it as frictionless as possible for sellers
  • In an early-stage market, competitors are your friend: The more players, the bigger the pie

What inspired you to get into the resale industry?