Recommerce: The business of reselling used and returned goods

Recommerce describes the entire ecosystem of buying, refurbishing, and reselling previously owned or returned merchandise through commercial channels. The term encompasses everything from luxury consignment platforms like The RealReal to peer-to-peer marketplaces like Vinted, plus retailers accepting trade-ins and brands launching their own secondhand programs. Unlike traditional resale, recommerce emphasizes systematic business models with standardized operations: authentication protocols, grading systems, reverse logistics infrastructure, and technology platforms that scale. For resale businesses, understanding recommerce means recognizing it as a distinct sector with unique economics. Success requires managing acquisition costs, refurbishment expenses, inventory velocity, and customer expectations around pricing and quality. The growth of recommerce has created new revenue streams while challenging businesses to balance profitability with sustainability claims and to compete against both fast fashion and established secondhand channels.