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Vestiaire Collective opens UK-based authentication and logistics centre

By Rachel Douglass

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Business

Image: Vestiaire Collective

Resale platform Vestiaire Collective has opened a UK-based authentication and logistics centre to deliver on consumer demand for second-hand clothing, a market that has been “stifled by Brexit”.

The company’s new operations hope to deliver a “Brexit-proof experience”, offering a reduction in lead times and delivery fees for UK customers. In a release, it stated the warehouse will have the capacity to authenticate 1,000 items per day, instead of completing the process at its France base, a move that will reduce the company’s carbon footprint significantly.

Maximilian Bittner, CEO of Vestiaire Collective says: “Vestiaire Collective has already established that style shouldn’t come at the cost of the environment. But Brexit has hindered the UK’s drive for a sustainable future,” noted the platform’s CEO, Maximilian Bittner.

Since Brexit’s implementation, retailers have experienced setbacks due to cost hikes caused by the act. The situation worsened in the new year after full customs declarations and controls were introduced.

The decision to open a UK based operation also comes as new data by the company found an increase in interest in sustainable and second-hand fashion in the market. According to a report carried out by the platform, one-third of UK fashion buyers planned to buy or bought second-hand over the festive season, while nearly one in three started selling or selling their own clothing in the last year.

Bittner added: “British consumers have been unfairly penalised at a time when counterfeits are increasing and so the need for world-leading experts is more crucial than ever. Our new hub will make circular fashion more accessible, trusted and sustainable than ever before, so it can truly compete with and stem the tide of fast fashion’s impact on the planet.”

The authentication centre opened following a soft launch in November 2021. It marks the platform’s fourth centre globally, with locations already present in France, the US and Hong Kong.

Logistics
Resale
Supply Chain
Vestiaire Collective