Resale surge and value retail strategies redefine fashion spending

Rising living costs across Europe are accelerating a structural shift towards resale, with Vinted emerging as a key beneficiary.

The platform reported gross merchandise value of 10.8 billion euros, up 47 percent year on year, while revenues climbed 38 percent to 1.1 billion euros. Founded in 2008 in Lithuania, the company has scaled rapidly across Europe, with the UK now its second-largest market after France, counting more than 16 million users.

Growth has been supported by expansion beyond fashion into categories such as books, games and homeware, as well as continued international rollout. Profitability, however, softened, with adjusted earnings declining 5 percent to 151 million euros, reflecting ongoing investment in logistics via its Vinted Go arm and efforts to strengthen its position in competitive markets such as Germany.

Strategic adaptations in retail

At the same time, value-driven retail is prompting strategic recalibration among high street players, reported The Times. Primark has deepened its digital presence with the launch of a UK app supporting click-and-collect, extending a service first introduced in 2022. The move signals a cautious shift for a retailer long resistant to e-commerce due to margin constraints tied to its low-price model.

Owned by Associated British Foods, Primark operates more than 450 stores globally but faces mounting pressure from ultra-low-cost online competitors such as Shein and Temu, alongside reduced discretionary spending among core consumers.

As inflation reshapes purchasing behaviour, both resale platforms and price-led retailers are adapting their models to capture increasingly cost-conscious shoppers.