The RealReal Sees Conversations With Luxury Players Improving

Luxury fashion brands don’t like seeing control of their product go to a marketplace, but The RealReal thinks conversations with around resale are starting to improve. “Four years ago, the conversations were quite different, brands were wary,” said Allison Sommer, The RealReal’s director of strategic initiatives. “Today, we’ve never had so many brand inquiries and we’re having a lot of good conversations.”  While those conversations are likely not with Chanel, which is suing The RealReal in an effort to fully control its post-retail market, Sommer pointed to full partnerships with the likes of Stella McCartney and Burberry as showing how brands working with resale instead of against it can be beneficial. “There’s starting to be an understanding of how resale fuels the market,” Sommer said. “By listing on The RealReal, we’re introducing new people to your brand, people who were probably shopping fast fashion and are now having their first introduction with a luxury brand. And eventually, they’ll graduate to the primary market.” She added that even those already shopping new at retail are looking to the resale market to inform their shopping choices. “Customers are smart. They’re looking at what the resale value is [of a product], which can also reduce the cost

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More...

from WWDWWD https://ift.tt/2DiQjXs