Asos customers will be able to trade their own clothes through an virtual online marketplace to be launched on its website later this year.
The online retailer today announced that it is in the “advanced stages” of preparing to launch the marketplace, which will offer customers a channel to sell their own clothes and buy from others.
The marketplace, seen as tapping into a desire by customers to have a more environmentally-friendly approach to shopping and to buy more vintage clothing, would also be open to independent fashion retailers and designers. In addition, it will give larger companies another way to sell their own goods or to market surplus stock
Asos’ chief executive Nick Robertson said: “This is an exciting extension to ASOS’ existing customer offer which makes perfect sense in today’s market. This is a sellers’ platform. We will start simply and continually improve the platform over time. Our sellers will shape its future.
“With this initiative we are able to offer both individual and corporate customers an additional channel to sell their fashion merchandise in an environment, and in front of a customer, that is all about fashion.”
Our view: This story does seem to tap into a real appetite for buying and selling clothes that individuals no longer want to wear but others may covet. For it comes just a month after longstanding online marketplace, eBay launched its eBay Fashion site dedicated to selling clothes.
