I work at Vinted – how to be a top seller, nab the newest buys & the best day of the week to seal a top deal
MONEY is tight especially in January as the expense of Christmas takes its toll - so it makes sense to tap into buying and selling shopping apps.
A poll of 2,000 adults by Trustpilot found six in 10 now buy used goods in a bid to both save, and earn cash.
Sales of second-hand goods soared by 15% to £21billion in 2022 and according to research by selling site Vinted, customers can save themselves an average of £87 a month if they buy second hand.
And if payday is feeling like a year away, there's no better time to give it a go.
However, navigating buying and selling apps like Vinted - such as Depop, eBay and Facebook Marketplace - can be a minefield if you're using them for the first time.
Here, Natacha Blanchard, Consumer Lead at Vinted, gives her insight and reveals top tips to get the most out of your apps - whether you're buying or even selling.
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Bundle up
Buying multiple items at the same time can make delivery charges cheaper and it's better for the environment as less parcels are being sent.
If a bundle isn’t advertised you can offer to buy two or more items together - for the price you're willing to pay for the lot.
Natacha says: “If you buy multiple items from one seller, you can ask for a price for the bundle instead of paying for individual items which is definitely a good thing to do as you can offer the seller a cheaper price for two items.”
“About 23% of our members said in our impact report this year that they have bought at least one bundle.
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“It’s also great for instance for baby and children's clothing where you can sell them all in a pack.”
Clothes for all seasons
Whilst we may be fully into our winter wardrobes right now, there's no better time to buy summer clothes.
At the start of the season you're buying for there might not be many clothes to choose from, so buying at the end of a season - or in a different season completely - means you may come across some hidden gems.
Natacha says: “Buying your winter clothes in summer means that there will be less people looking for the product and may mean that you get a better deal as sellers are wanting to get rid of their items.
“At the moment we still are seeing searches for summer dresses and sandals, but in the next few weeks this will shift to people wanting boots and winter jumpers.”
Weekends are for browsing
If you're selling, it's crucial to hit the virtual shelves at certain times - when the maximum number of people are browsing.
While you might think weekends are for socialising, Natacha says otherwise: “We see most people are usually active on an evening at around 9pm.
“Sunday is a popular day. Remember, people can also favourite an item and then come back to it. But we do tend to see more transactions towards the end of the day and over a weekend.”
But if you're wanting to make some quick cash, the most popular time for listing items is a Saturday, especially in the afternoon - the key time when new items will drop.
When searching for an item filter your search to ‘newest first’ meaning the very latest products will pop up on your feed right at the top.
Think outside the box to bag the best deals
Not quite found what you’re looking for in the women's section?
Then try the men's category instead.
An oversized men's shirt pulled in with a belt can give you an expensive and sophisticated silhouette.
Men's cargo shorts, women's swimwear, shorts and flat sandals are also top selling items
Natacha
Men's sports shorts are the quickest selling items across a week so it's also worth raiding your partner's wardrobe to see if there's anything they want to get rid of - and sell it to make extra cash.
Men's cargo shorts, women's swimwear, shorts and flat sandals are also top selling items.
Know your customer and their hashtags
Knowing what people want to buy is key when you're planning what to sell.
When it comes to colours forget anything colourful - shoppers are after all things monochrome, with black, white, grey, brown and navy being the most searched for shades and the quickest to go.
When it comes to trainers, the most popular brands searched for globally include Adidas, Converse and Nike.
Make use of hashtags as people also search for themes, with some of the post popular this year being Y2K, Halloween and apres ski.
Use your favourites if you're afraid to haggle
Just because an item is listed at a certain price doesn’t mean you have to pay that amount for it.
Make the seller an offer and try your hand at haggling, the worst they can say is no.
However if haggling isn’t your thing you can use the favourite button to your advantage.
Many even offer an immediate discount...it's a way for buyers to potentially get some money off...
Natacha
Natacha says: “It's possible to tempt your seller into lowering their price (without you even haggling) by "favoriting" an item you want to buy.
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“On Vinted, sellers can be informed each time an item is “favourited” by a member, and many keen sellers then proactively reach out to these members to gauge whether they can seal the deal. Many even offer an immediate discount.
“It’s a subtle way for buyers to potentially get some money off an item they want without being the first to negotiate, or it can open a conversation for negotiation in a more organic way.”