PrettyLittleThing in UK launch of resale marketplace, the US to launch next

The resale marketplace that PrettyLittleThing announced in February has finally launched with the UK being its first market. Called simply MarketPlace, it sells both PLT pieces and other brands.

The pre-loved app is now online and PrettyLittleThing customers who want to sell via the marketplace can access it from their existing PLT orders “meaning easy functionality to upload their old PLT wardrobe straight onto the selling platform”.

The company said: “We listened to our customers, and they are mindful of the life of a garment and want to be able to resell items that they no longer wear, and so we are creating PrettyLittleThing MarketPlace as a community platform for our customers new and old to join. We have taken steps to simplify the resale process, encouraging more people to join the ‘PLTLoved’ movement and give items they no longer want in their wardrobe a new lease of life.”

Phase one of the platform includes functions such as that existing account sync, PLT and non-PLT listings, wish lists, message centre, image recognition and text filtering, verified users and PayPal integration. Phase two will include allowing users to leave reviews for sellers, subscription service, PLT store credit as a payment method and transactional push notifications.

The app will also hit the US relatively soon as PLT becomes the latest retailer to move very quickly in the burgeoning resale space.

MarketPlace was built by its in-house development team with over 200 staff members running internal testing ahead of launch and sharing their own experiences of using both the buying and selling features.

The brand’s creative director, celebrity Molly-Mae Hague, had said back in February that the company wanted to disrupt the fashion industry with a move that wouldn’t be expected from PLT.

It could also be seen as a response to criticism levelled at the fast-fashion sector for its throwaway approach and the vast amount of waste that it generates.

And as well as boosting PLT’s sustainability credentials and resonating with eco-minded shoppers, it comes at an ideal time given the current cost-of-living crisis. Consumers this autumn will be seeking to recycle unwanted fashion and generating some spare cash when doing so is likely to be appealing.