Why Big Brands Are Launching Second-Hand Recommerce Platforms?

Global resale value is expected to reach about $77 billion by 2025, nearly doubling within five years. Growth is no longer limited to fashion. Furniture, electronics, and sports equipment now follow similar patterns.

Fashion remains the largest driver. Second-hand sales are projected to make up around 10% of the global apparel market by 2025. Online resale accounts for roughly 50% of all second-hand spending. According to ThredUp, 63% of second-hand fashion buyers purchased online in 2023, which represents a 17% year-on-year increase.

The global second-hand furniture market grows at about 7% per year and is expected to reach $43 billion by 2030. Electronics recommerce follows the same logic, driven by refurbishment programs and trade-in models from large retailers.

Around 45% of Gen Z and millennials prefer buying second-hand items online. Price plays a central role. Surveys indicate that over half of younger buyers purchase used furniture and household goods to reduce costs, not as a niche lifestyle choice.

The fashion industry generates around 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Circular models, including resale and repair, could reduce emissions by up to one third. By 2030, resale, rental, and repair may represent around 23% of the fashion market, with an estimated value of $700 billion.

4 Reasons Why Big Brands Launched Their Own Recommerce Platforms

Large brands did not enter recommerce for a single reason. The decision usually followed several pressures that appeared at the same time. Revenue models weakened. Customer expectations shifted. Regulation tightened. Control over resale slipped to third parties. Launching an in-house recommerce platform addressed all of these issues at once.

Below are the four core reasons that explain most brand decisions. Each reason becomes a separate section later in this article.

#1 Brands are looking for new revenue streams

Big players realised that reesale demand already exists. However, most value flows to third-party platforms. That is why some of brands launch their own recommerce platforms to capture that revenue. Let's look at data below.

Fnac Darty generated €150 million GMV in 2024 from refurbished products, equal to around 2% of total revenue. H&M reported an 85% increase in resale revenue through Sellpy, targeting €90 million in 2023.

Recommerce also moves toward profitability. H&M confirmed that Sellpy approached break-even and supported profits in early 2023. IKEA sold 263,000 second-hand items in 2023, up from 70,000 in 2022. Customers using buy-back vouchers often spent more on new products, increasing total basket value.

In 2022, over 670,000 Zara items were listed on third-party resale platforms. Zara launched its own Pre-Owned platform to monetise this demand. What is more Decathlon now targets 10% of revenue from circular services.

#2 Customers expect resale from brands they trust

Customer expectations around resale have changed. Buyers want not only lower prices, but also guarantees, clear quality rules, and simple returns. Brand-owned resale platforms meet these expectations better than peer-to-peer marketplaces.

Inflation is a big point here. Resale helps brands reach price-sensitive customers without discounting new stock. IKEA described its second-hand offer as a way to “unlock a more affordable range.” Pre-owned products bring budget-conscious buyers into the ecosystem while preserving full-price positioning for new items.

Recommerce allows brands to show responsibility for the full product lifecycle. Zara’s Pre-Owned service supports repair, resale, and donation, which aligns with Inditex’s waste reduction targets. H&M positions its “Pre-Loved” category as part of making second-hand fashion mainstream. These moves align with this reasearch forecasts that circular models could reach 23% of the market by 2030.

At Decathlon, internal analysis showed that customers who return products buy again more often. When a customer trades in an old bicycle, the customer clears unused equipment and commits to another purchase with Decathlon. IKEA shows the same pattern. Customers receive higher buy-back value when they choose gift cards for refunds, with a 15% bonus that drives repeat purchases.

Resale platforms also support customer growth. Zalando used its existing traffic and over 50 million customers to promote Pre-Owned on its main platform. This approach brings second-hand buyers without extra acquisition costs and keeps activity inside the brand’s own channels.

#3 Recommerce helps brands prepare for sustainability regulations

Many large retailers set clear environmental targets, and recommerce helps them meet those goals in practice. Extending product life reduces waste and lowers emissions. Every item resold replaces a new purchase and avoids disposal.

IKEA reported that its Second Chance resale program contributed to a 24.3% reduction in its climate footprint in 2023. Decathlon repaired or refurbished over 1.5 million products in France in 2024. These actions support long-term climate targets, such as Inditex’s plan to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.

Regulation adds pressure. In Europe, lawmakers push right-to-repair rules, take-back obligations, and recycling mandates. Brands that launch recommerce now build systems for returns, refurbishment, and resale before these rules become mandatory. Fnac Darty repaired 2.6 million products in 2024 and introduced digital product lifespan tracking for appliances. Its Second Life resale program grew 34% in volume in 2022, working alongside repair services rather than replacing them.

Recommerce also supports brand reputation. Circular programs signal action, not intent. IKEA even replaced Black Friday promotions with buy-back and resale campaigns, encouraging customers to buy less and reuse more. These moves build credibility with consumers, regulators, and employees at the same time.

#4 Brands want more control over how their products are resold

When resale happens on third-party platforms, brands lose control. They cannot fully manage quality, pricing, or product presentation. Own recommerce platforms solve this problem.

Quality control is the first reason. Open marketplaces often show mixed produ ct condition or fake items. Brand-owned platforms set clear rules. Brands inspect, grade, and refurbish products before resale. MediaMarkt runs certified refurbishment for used electronics and sells them with warranty. Fnac Darty refurbishes appliances and sells them through dedicated “Seconde Vie” sections. Buyers trust used products more when the brand takes responsibility.

Control also means better data. Brands see how long products last and where failures occur. They also learn which items keep value on the second-hand market. Decathlon uses this data to improve product design. Today, 53% of its range meets ecodesign rules and supports easier repair. Resale data also helps brands plan inventory and future collections.

Recommerce platforms keep customers inside the brand ecosystem. IKEA designed its resale marketplace as a branded space, not a neutral listing site. The platform suggests prices and uses official product photos.

Fashion Recommerce Examples

Fashion retailers were among the first to step up into recommerce.

For example, the H&M group partnered with and later acquired Sellpy and launched H&M Pre-Loved in 2022. The service expanded to 24 European markets and operates as a full-service resale model. Sellpy manages pickup, listings, and shipping, which lowers effort for sellers (similar to Vinted).
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​H&M reported an 85% year-on-year increase in resale revenue and targeted €90 million in second-hand sales in 2023. By that time, H&M owned around 70% of Sellpy and invested over €20 million. In 2023, Sellpy approached break-even, which showed that resale can move toward profitability.

Zara followed a different path. In late 2022, the brand launched Zara Pre-Owned, starting in the UK and expanding across Europe and the US by 2023. The platform exists inside Zara’s main website and app and connects with physical stores. Customers can resell items, request repairs, or even donate clothing. In 2022, over 670,000 Zara items appeared on third-party resale platforms. Zara chose to monetise that demand. While Inditex does not publish resale revenue, the fast rollout across core markets suggests strong adoption.

Zalando entered recommerce earlier and treated it as a retail category. The company launched Zalando Pre-Owned in 2020 and runs it as a B2C model. Zalando owns, checks, and sells used items itself. This keeps quality and service consistent with new products. Between 2020 and 2023, Zalando reported keeping 6.3 million items in use through resale. At any time, the platform lists around 270,000 pre-owned items.

Furniture & Home Circular Marketplaces

IKEA shows how recommerce can work with furniture. The company combines buy-back, resale, and peer-to-peer models and integrates them into its retail system.

IKEA launched a buy-back program around 2019. Customers return used IKEA furniture in exchange for store credit. IKEA resells these items through “As-Is” or Second Chance sections in stores and via online reservation. The program scaled fast. In 2023, IKEA sold 263,000 second-hand items online, up from 70,000 in 2022.

IKEA also launched a peer-to-peer resale platform for used IKEA products. By early 2026, the marketplace operates in five countries and targets 170,000 listings in 2026. Users scan a product barcode, and the system fills in photos, dimensions, product details, and price guidance. Listings also include original assembly manuals and care instructions.

The incentive model reinforces loyalty. Sellers pay no fees and can choose cash or 15% extra value as an IKEA refund card. Many choose store credit, which drives repeat purchases. As the result, this creates a loop: sell old IKEA & buy new IKEA.

Pilot markets showed strong repeat use, especially for storage, beds, and sofas. IKEA estimates that its products already represent around 9% of the European second-hand furniture market. The company now aims to organise and monetise this existing demand instead of leaving it to classifieds platforms.

Sport Goods Resale

Decathlon shows how recommerce works in a category built around durability and repair.
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​Customers receive an instant online quote for used equipment and bring it to a store for inspection. Decathlon repairs or refurbishes the item and resells it in dedicated “Second Life” sections in stores or online. Items that fail inspection go to recycling. Store credit links resale directly to new purchases.

The model scaled fast in 2024. In Germany alone, Decathlon completed 127,000 repairs, resold 88,000 second-hand items, and took back 10,800 products through buy-back. In France, second-hand sales grew 21% year over year, with around 420,000 used items sold in 2024. Today, 9 out of 10 Decathlon stores in France offer a second-hand section.

Repair service is the backbone. In 2024, Decathlon operated 317 repair workshops in France and serviced 1.5 million products. Many repaired items later entered resale. Repair also keeps customers engaged between purchases. Decathlon markets repair services directly and runs dozens of in-store workshops across Europe. The company invests in repairability to preserve product value, both economic and environmental.

Recommerce also drives loyalty. As we written earlier, Decathlon reports that customers who trade in equipment return more often. Trade-ins often lead to upgrades, which supports new sales.

The company aims for 10% of total revenue to come from circular activities, including resale, repair, and rental. That share already exceeds early expectations after the 2024 ramp-up.

Second Life for Electronics & Appliances

Fnac Darty runs its Fnac Darty Seconde Vie program across phones, laptops, and home appliances. Customers return used devices, which the company cleans, repairs, wipes of data, and resells with a warranty. In 2024, Second Life sales reached €150 million GMV, equal to about 2% of group revenue. The segment grew at double-digit rates, with volumes up 34% in 2022 and continued expansion after that.

Fnac Darty sells refurbished products both online and in stores. Many locations now include dedicated Second Life areas, where customers compare refurbished items next to new ones. This setup reduces friction and normalises resale as part of everyday shopping.

Fnac Darty builds on its large repair network, including its Darty Max repair subscription. Customers who buy refurbished products can also add service plans, which creates recurring revenue on top of resale.

The company treats recommerce as a long-term system. In 2024, Fnac Darty repaired 2.6 million products and set a target of 3.5 million repairs per year by 2030. These repairs feed the Second Life inventory while supporting sustainability goals.

Other retailers follow a similar path. MediaMarkt launched certified refurbished programs in Europe. Best Buy expanded refurbished and open-box sales in the US. Still, Fnac Darty stands out for scale, with €150M+ annual resale revenue and clear operational KPIs.

Conclusion

In this article we examined both the reasons behind recommerce launches and the results achieved by large retailers. Across fashion, furniture, electronics, and sports, the pattern is consistent.

Major players report tens or hundreds of millions in new revenue, higher customer engagement, and repeat purchasing driven by buy-back and repair loops. Sustainability impact is also concrete. Large volumes of products remain in use instead of becoming waste, which improves climate and circularity metrics.

As more brands offer resale, repair, and buy-back, these services move closer to baseline. Similar to free shipping or easy returns, shoppers may soon expect retailers to support second life by default.

The business case explains why big brands act now. Recommerce adds revenue, strengthens loyalty, and aligns retail with future regulation and consumer values. For established retailers still undecided, the question has changed. It is no longer whether recommerce works, but whether it makes sense to stay out.