August 25, 2020 |
We’ve all done it, stood in front of our bedroom mirror for a selfie, trying and probably failing, to sell some ropey old pair of shorts on Depop to earn a few quid.
For Avalon Ffooks, founder of Peaches Shop, it was a pair of Fendi trousers that ignited her entrepreneurial Depop spirit. “I remember finding a couple of pairs of Fendi jeans on Etsy so I bought them. I worked out I can essentially just source things I want, wear it for a bit and then sell it on.” The £100 profit on her first sale was what triggered the page’s momentum, which has now racked up a whopping 20k followers.
Peaches Shop favours the higher price point of Depop and puts your 4-year-old Nike Air Force listing to shame. Fendi, Burberry and Louis Vuitton vintage pieces are regular features, and more often than not, selling for over £100. “From my personal experience, I’ve noticed that branded items – in perfect condition – sell really well, like prints from Gucci, Fendi and Dior.” It’s no surprise then that the timeless Fendi Zucca print and Louis Vuitton Monogram pieces fly off the e-shelves at rapid pace.
For Ffooks, a successful business was not the initial game plan: “It’s just a hobby of mine and it’s interesting, I never expected it to take off as it has done over the last couple of years.” She was listed as one of Depop’s ‘Top Sellers’ and has had her items promoted by the Depop team, which she admits definitely helped her to grow. Even her customer base is noteworthy, including singer/songwriter Madison Beer and Insta celeb Kelsey Calemine, who was after some Balenciaga knife boots.
But where does she source her items? All most of us can pick up in a charity shop is tatty cashmere jumpers and a dog-eared Jamie Oliver cookbook. “I literally never tell anyone where I get my stock from, but I mainly buy from Europe,” she hints. Good luck working that out.
She goes on to say that networking plays a large role in her business but she keeps her contacts very private. There’s always a way to avoid the exploitative nature of the fast fashion industry, and Depop is one logical place to start. Even if your only previous experience of the platform was searching ‘wavy garms’ as festival preparation. Let Ffooks take you through her top ten tips when it comes to creating a successful Depop shop, then give it a go. You might surprise yourself.
1. Stick to a theme and try to organise your shop and page layout so that you become known for a particular type of fashion. Don’t clutter your shop with a mixture of high and low prices, varied conditions, men’s and women’s clothing or different sizes.
2. Only sell items that are affordable to your target market. Depop buyers are on average between 16-25, most people within that age range don’t have a lot of disposable income.
3. Form a close relationship with the Depop team, and other Depop sellers – help each other out.
4. Rent out your items on the side using platforms such as @ByRotation and @Renttherunway, along with lending items out for photoshoots. This way you can make a passive income.
5. Re-list your items, find the time of day when most buyers/sellers are active, that way your listings will garner the most exposure.
6. Post your new stock on your Instagram story, you’d be surprised how many friends are interested in what you’re selling and go straight to your Depop page.
7. Do pop-up sales for friends and at your workplace.
8. During the buying process keep in mind how well the item will photograph. For example: black and white garments are notoriously difficult to photograph, whereas items that are uniquely patterned/brightly coloured tend to stand out and sell quickly.
9. Don’t list too many of the same category/item at the same time, this confuses your page and unique tems won’t stand out – it essentially devalues your product.
10. When you are buying items for yourself, consider whether you will be able to re-sell them for profit.
You can visit Peaches Shop here.
