The Rise of Secondhand Shopping: Gently’s Vision for a Unified Marketplace
In the world of e-commerce, secondhand shopping has been gaining traction in recent years. However, one major issue plagues this market: fragmentation. Samuel Spitz, co-founder and CEO of Gently, knows this problem all too well.
The Problem with Secondhand Shopping Online
As a lover of secondhand clothing, Spitz found himself spending hours searching across dozens of resale sites to find specific items. He faced a daunting task: navigating multiple platforms, only to be met with limited search results and often unavailability in his size or target price. "The market is very fragmented," Spitz told TechCrunch. "And once I would get on a site, it was really hard to find what I wanted, plus you only see a fraction of what is actually there."
A Solution Emerges
Spitz’s frustration sparked an idea: creating a unified marketplace where users could shop across multiple secondhand sites from one place. In March 2021, he joined forces with fellow Rice University graduate Kunal Rai to launch Gently, initially known as Wearloom.
The initial "technology" was simple yet effective: a form that users could fill out specifying the items they were looking for, which Spitz and Rai would manually compile and respond to via email. The response was overwhelming, with 500-600 users served daily in the first month, growing to thousands by the second month.
Scaling Up
As demand skyrocketed, manual searches became unsustainable. Spitz and Rai began building a central platform for online secondhand shopping, which would eventually become Gently’s core offering.
Today, Gently partners with leading sites like eBay, ThredUp, Vestiaire Collective, Rebag, Grailed, GOAT, StockX, and TheLuxuryCloset. Users can search, filter, and receive alerts from these platforms, making the shopping experience seamless.
Growth Projections
With tens of thousands of users daily, Gently is poised for significant growth. Spitz predicts 1 million everyday users by 2024. To achieve this goal, he will deploy the recently secured $2 million in pre-seed funding into technology development, including:
- Improved search functionality
- SMS functionality to enhance user experience
- Sizing function to reduce input errors
The Future of Secondhand Shopping
Gently’s vision is not just about secondhand clothing; it’s about revolutionizing the retail landscape. By providing a unified platform, Spitz aims to:
- Reduce friction in online shopping
- Drive sales for partner sites
- Expand into new categories, including furniture
Market Outlook
The global secondhand apparel market is projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2025. Gently’s innovative approach addresses the pain points of this growing market, positioning it as a leading player in the industry.
As secondhand shopping continues to gain momentum, Gently is well-positioned to capitalize on this trend. With its unified marketplace and commitment to innovation, Spitz’s vision for a seamless online shopping experience may soon become a reality.
