Are Re-Commerce Sites Still Buying Used Clothing and Accessories?
The RealReal
A spokesperson for The RealReal told POPSUGAR that the company is taking every precaution to ensure the safety of its customers, consignors, and staff by following coronavirus (COVID-19) guidelines provided by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Agency of Canada, and the World Health Organisation.
"Per the CDC, there is very low risk of spread from products or packageing that are shipped over a period of days or weeks, so we are accepting consignment by mail only during this period. We're also cleaning and sanitizing our warehouses every hour of every shift. Consigned items receive a light cleaning in receiving. Additionally, we steam clean fine jewellery and watches, heat steam ready-to-wear, and wipe down accessories and handbags."
Vestiaire Collective
"More than ever, it's important to support each other during this time," said Moizant. "Many people sell pieces they no longer need to raise funds, so buying from sellers helps support people who might need it during this difficult period. Also, we know that our members value being able to purchase pieces from an individual they can engage with directly, as this helps build a sense of community amongst our global members. Some people may be concerned about receiving packages right now, but as the WHO has advised, it is safe to receive a package from an area impacted by COVID-19."
Fashionphile
"We are still making offers and are taking items on buyout and consignment," said Davis. "Our team can respond to all quote requests from home, make offers, and send free shipping labels. What we've noticed is that people are really using this downtime to clean and organise their homes and closets. This means donating some stuff but also selling some of that to Fashionphile. We're seeing a ton of interest on this front and encourage people to ship those items to our headquarters in Carlsbad, where they are safely received and stored. As for the sanitation of the product intake, the fact that these boxes are being stored unopened in our climate-controlled facility and will be processed in order of receipt means that they will be completely safe to handle by the time they are processed. That said, our staff will all be in full personal protective gear when they are able to come back to work."