The broader resale market is projected to reach $360 billion by 2030 (BCG/Vestiaire Collective, 2025), with luxury resale alone at roughly $30-40 billion and growing 3x faster than firsthand luxury. Secondary market watch sales alone hit $26.8 billion in 2024 and are climbing toward $45 billion by 2030.
Those are not niche numbers. That’s a market large enough that ignoring it is a strategic decision, whether you realize you’re making it or not.
Most retailers already have some pre-owned inventory. What almost none of them have is a marketing strategy behind it.
The Pre-Owned Opportunity (and Why Most Retailers Waste It)
The stigma question comes up constantly, and it’s worth addressing directly: it’s mostly over. 54% of luxury clients would purchase pre-owned directly from a luxury brand or retailer.
Pre-Owned Is a Customer Acquisition Channel
9 in 10 customers participating in the resale market are also buyers of new products. The pre-owned purchase is often the first transaction that builds trust.
Marketing to Buyers: Moving Pre-Owned Inventory
Google Ads for Pre-Owned Luxury
Local SEO for Pre-Owned
Social Media: Show the Inventory
Your Website Needs a Pre-Owned Section, Not a Footnote
Marketing to Sellers: Building Your Inventory Pipeline
Email and SMS to Existing Clients
Google Ads for Sellers
Social Media as a Seller Recruitment Tool
Community and Word of Mouth
Authentication and Trust: Your Competitive Moat
Merchandising Affects Marketing
Measuring What Works
Make Pre-Owned a Real Business
H&CO builds pre-owned marketing programs for luxury retailers, covering both sides of the equation. If you have the inventory and the expertise but not the marketing, let’s talk.
