08.05.2024

Market insights

The rise of vintage reselling

In the sustainable furniture panorama, the phenomenon of reselling vintage furniture is growing fast: an approach that favors the creation of welcoming and functional environments through circularity, and without damaging the environment.

While the design industry is rapidly evolving to adapt to a more ecological and conscious mentality, sustainable furniture as a lifestyle is easily applicable immediately, through three simple practices, aimed at extending the objects' life cycle as much as possible: there is restoration, which involves the recovery, repair or upcycling of furniture and objects to prolong their useful life, reducing the need for the production of new materials; then the exchange of objects between people, which promotes the reuse and sharing of resources; and finally reselling, which allows used furniture to find a new home instead of ending up in a landfill, a rapidly growing phenomenon.

No longer a niche hobby, vintage shopping has become mainstream, but lately, in addition to the intrinsic value of owning an object which carries a history, it is precisely the reselling of vintage goods that is experiencing exponential growth. From a recent report on the American market, it emerges that the reselling phenomenon today primarily involves the home sector, our living space. While books, fashion and electronics were traditionally the most popular resale categories, used furniture now dominates the scene, with an expected increase in this approach (in the US) of 29% by 2027, a trend already very evident in Europe.

In the wake of the pandemic, which temporarily disrupted global supply chains, buyers began to favor reselling furniture and objects over purchasing new items. The reasons? Essentially a better quality/price ratio compared to new products in stores, especially after the recent prices increases due to the inflationary push, the uniqueness and quality of the pieces, their immediate availability without waiting for production, and of course , the sustainable aspect that this choice implies.

From the consumers, the concept of reselling has now reached the design brands themselves, who are adopting innovative strategies to promote sustainability in their sector: just think that IKEA has launched the "Bring Back and Resell" service, which offers credit to customers who bring IKEA furniture that they no longer use into the store, giving it a second life, so that other people can use a second-hand IKEA piece.

Vitra, for example, promotes circularity in the design market through its Vitra Circle Stores, spaces located between Amsterdam, Brussels and Frankfurt, where the brand resells previously used furniture, objects and accessories from Vitra and Artek: from trade fair items to display pieces or returns from the online shop, the resale takes place on site, with prices based on the condition of the products after their functionality has been verified. Repairs are carried out where necessary, so as to be able to renew the warranty of an item, thus extending its life cycle.

Within all resale categories, e-commerce is undoubtedly the fastest growing service channel. intOndo contributes to this scenario by helping those who wish to display and resell one of their vintage products and  purchase another: be it a private individual, a reseller or someone looking for a selection of vintage pieces for special events such as exhibitions, photo shoots, film and television sets.

If you have created a site-specific or temporary event with furniture purchased on intOndo and want to put it back on sale immediately, you can do so quickly and easily: the platform guarantees use friendliness, speed and personalized solutions for purchasing and selling, simplifying the circularity process, but also offering you support and assistance: our aim is to guarantee a pleasant transition towards a more sustainable lifestyle.

In short, the path towards sustainable furniture no longer seems like a temporary trend: it is an imperative for a greener and more responsible future, in which the adoption of innovative approaches goes hand in hand with the consumer's commitment.