Is it right for fashion brands to enter the reselling market? On the one hand they offer guarantees, on the other they put at risk the independence of the second-hand market

In recent months, the world of luxury seems to have discovered the enormity of the second-hand market and, judging by the number of initiatives that the brands are trying out, a great collective effort is underway by fashion brands to secure a slice of that market. The factors behind this interest are the renewed importance of sustainability and the circular economy, which is also linked to the public's perception of the brand and finally the considerable volume of business that revolves around this market that was already developing at a faster rate than the primary one, however larger.

The most interesting news in this regard is that of the Brand Approved program of Vestiaire Collective, which has entered into its first partnership with Alexander McQueen and puts for sale brand-certified items at competitive prices. Also, Gucci is working on opening a similar digital resell boutique on TheRealReal, which has already partnered with Burberry and Stella McCartney; brands like Levi's, Patagonia and even H&M are experimenting with large-scale auto-resell, and in general, the resell market is expected to reach a $51 billion turnover by 2023, according to research reported by Business of Fashion. But what does it mean for a big luxury fashion brand to undertake such an operation? 

Weighed up the pros and cons, however, it remains undeniable that the secondhand market has reached gigantic proportions today – a direct consequence of that desire artificially inflated by the aggressive social media marketing of brands. It is natural that investors want to profit from the increasingly corporate and institutional world of reselling, but at the same time containment measures will have to be taken to preserve the democratic nature of its marketplaces, which is also the main cause of their appeal.