Poshmark digitally connects brands with customers
For the first time in its history, Poshmark is letting large-scale brands connect directly with the platform's shoppers.
The online fashion resale marketplace launched a new program, called Brand Closet, that allows brands to directly connect, converse with and sell to Poshmark's community of more than 80 million users with a suite of specially-designed social merchandising tools. The tools include the Drops Soon feature, which lets brands share limited-time products; My Shoppers, which allows brands to conduct one-on-one clienteling; and branded Posh Parties, which drive awareness.
Other features and benefits of Brand Closet include listing videos that display and promote merchandise; "Official Closet" placement on a brand page; and targeted push and email campaigns to drive repeat engagement. In addition, the program offers enterprise-grade inventory management tools to support high-volume selling; integrated shipping; third-party logistics integration support with partners such as CommerceHub, and dedicated customer success teams.
Since 2020, Poshmark has piloted Brand Closet with several brands, developing a full-scale program that is now available for additional brands and retailers to join. The brands currently participating in the program include Lucky Brands, Free People and Dose of Colors.
Brand Closet is the second advanced technology offering Poshmark has recently rolled out. Earlier in October, the company purchased Suede One, a solution using machine learning, computer vision, and human review to virtually authenticate sneakers. Suede One's technology enables an inventory-less approach to authentication.
The technology analyzes product images, running algorithms on consistencies to identify whether an item is real or counterfeit. Poshmark plans to use Suede One capabilities to complement its existing refund guarantee and free authentication for orders of $500 or more.
Poshmark is bolstering the hosted services it offers brands as the already booming resale market is poised to have a breakout holiday season. According to a recent study from Mercari, 77% of surveyed American adults said they expect to buy at least one secondhand item this holiday season. Collectively, this means $69.2 billion may be spent on previously-owned items from October through December 2021, up 24% from the previous year.
"We are thrilled to open our social marketplace more widely to brands, empowering them to build loyal, lasting connections with a coveted audience, tap into a new sales channel, and bring shoppers the kind of personalized service that is all too rare in e-commerce," said Manish Chandra, founder and CEO of Poshmark. "By connecting brands directly to our community of highly engaged, deeply passionate shoppers and re-commerce enthusiasts, we're building a stronger, more vibrant marketplace—it's a win for everyone."
"Our social marketplace now supports sellers of all sizes, from new sellers to professional resellers to large-scale brands, and we want to empower each and every one of them to be successful on Poshmark while fueling a more circular shopping engine," said Tracy Sun, Poshmark co-founder and senior VP of Seller Experience. "We're just getting started, and I'm excited to build this program and ensure that all sellers can thrive on our platform."