How do you go about selling your clothes these days? eBay is a bit too Jack of all trades, nobody goes on Facebook Marketplace and a car boot, well – let’s not even bother.
If you are looking to shift a few of your wardrobe dwelling garments and aren’t already familiar with Depop, then it’s about time you got to know about it. Depop is a fashion marketplace app where you can list the likes of clothing, shoes, jewellery, art, books, illustrations – all sorts really, but it’s primarily focused around selling clothing. Why does Depop make sense if you’re looking to shift a bit of your old gear? A few reasons:
- It’s a targeted app: although there are a variety of things you can sell on there, Depop is really a clothing marketplace app, meaning people using it are there to buy clothes and not potentially anything, like you’d find on eBay.
- It’s down with the kids: Depop is by and large used by younger people looking for thrifty vintage bargains, so you’re selling to a keen audience with disposable income. The app itself has a good reputation with younger audiences and is considered the place to be for cheap but trendy bargains.
- It’s a massive app: Depop sees 140,000 new items appear every day and boasts a user base of 15 million people across 147 countries – a testament to its popularity and success.
- It’s easy to use: as with any successful app these days, Depop is simple to get up to speed with and is a relatively effortless way to generate some extra income.
That’s the sell. Interested? Here’s how to get started with selling on Depop.
SEE MORE: 4 ways to save money on clothes that you’ve never thought of
Getting started
There are a few basics to get ticked off straight away:
- Download the app and sign up: you can find Depop free to download on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Sign up with either your Facebook account or your e-mail address in a few simple steps.
- Create a profile: your profile is your effective shop front for any visitors, so don’t neglect it. As a newbie, you want to build trust with potential buyers, so be sure to upload a friendly looking picture and fill in the profile details so your customers can get to know a bit more about you.
- Understand your seller fees: of course, Depop has its seller fees, so you need to be clear on what they are before you get started. Depop will take 10% of every sale you make, then there are additional payment fees. Depop has two payment methods to choose from: Classic, which charges 3.4% plus a 20p Paypal fee, and Wallet, which charges 2.5% with no Paypal fee but a 50p minimum. You’ll also need to consider your postage costs. Use a fees calculator to help you understand how much you’ll actually be making.
Starting out as a seller – how to build your rep
So, you’re signed up and ready to go, now it’s just a case of selling your stuff. Depop works like any other buy and sell app, with sellers having a feedback profile that gives you an idea of their level of service and reliability. Thus, when you start, it’s worth remembering you are an unknown to your customers, so it’s important to build trust as quickly as possible.
The quicker you can build a solid reputation on the app, the easier you’ll find it to sell, but how do you approach things initially?
- List your items well: don’t be slack with your presentation of your items. Buyers want to see high quality photos that paint a detailed picture of what you’re selling, and a description that tells them everything they need to know.
- Know your audience: as we’ve already mentioned, the Depop crowd is a young one, so bear that in mind when listing your items, from the type of products you’re selling to how you deal with customers on the app.
- Utilise hashtags: you’re allowed five hashtags on each listing – make sure to use them. Depop uses hashtags to help buyers filter down what they’re looking for, so you can tailor your hashtags to help your items stand out in a crowded market place.
- “Bump” your items: “bumping” is the process of refreshing your items on the platform so they appear as newly posted, which will mean the app favours them in searches. To bump your items, press edit on your chosen item and then save it. You don’t necessarily need to change anything; it’ll still appear as newly posted. General advice from bumping pros is to do this multiple times a day, but that depends on how many items and how much time you have.
- Set your expectations on negotiation: Depop allows for negotiation on items, which can lead to some decidedly interesting and sometimes downright weird conversations taking place between sellers and buyers. It’s important to make it clear to buyers whether you’re open to negotiation or not. That’s a matter of personal preference, however the general rule is that being open to negotiation should help your cause when selling.
- Provide prompt service: like any business venture, it pays to offer good service on the app. List your items well and honestly, respond to queries promptly and deliver items quickly. The app also allows for a lot more interaction between buyers and sellers than others, so get to know your customers and have some fun – you could build up a regular client base through your followers.
- Build your feedback: do all of the above and the positive reviews will come rolling in. Once you’ve got a decent rep behind you, you’ll find life on the app much easier.
Depop is a great way to make a little extra cash on bits you don’t need, you just need to know how to use the app and maximise the opportunities it offers. Practice makes perfect, so get started, learn the ropes, make some money and have some fun.
