Amazon explores luxury resale, launches new campaign

February 12, 2024

Four countries in Europe will benefit from the new partnership with Hardly Ever Worn It. Image credit: Amazon

Ecommerce giant Amazon, via its Luxury Stores program, is branching further into the secondhand space.

Entering the European resale market, the retailer is working with HEWI, or Hardly Ever Worn It, a digital consignor based out of London. The latest Luxury Stores at Amazon partnership launches this month, kicking off the announcement with a new campaign.

“We’re thrilled to expand our luxury offering with Hardly Ever Worn It this year, to include more of our customers’ favorite brands and styles,” said Ruth Diaz, vice president at Amazon Fashion Europe, in a statement.

“We’re always looking to innovate and engage with our diverse customers, and launching pre-owned goods allows us to do just that, whilst also creating an opportunity for us to offer our customers accessible luxury.”

New horizons
Integrating HEWI’s inventory on Luxury Stores at Amazon, products from brands such as Prada, Givenchy, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Burberry are now available overseas.

The pair is promoting a few selections in a spring-themed campaign, titled “Luxury Finds, Loved Before.” Swedish-born Somali model Ikram Abdi Omar and American model Noel Capri star in frames shot by British photographer Ben Weller.

Luxury Stores at Amazon has been active in the EU since the summer of 2022. Image credit: Amazon

Amazon, with its distribution and pricing expertise, is attempting to get in on a market of increasing popularity, pushing preloved designer items to the forefront with its collaborator.

Adding the segment to its offerings, the platform is giving the category a boost in the U.K., Germany, Spain and Italy.

HEWI brings 12 years of experience reselling high-end fashion items to the table, a business that is especially garnering interest overseas (see story). Started in the U.K., the organization now spans 40 European countries.

With Amazon, it is presenting an assortment of vintage ready-to-wear, shoes, accessories, jewelry and watches. The campaign's messaging promises shoppers a “meticulous pre-screening process.”

The looks worn within the marketing push were assembled by British stylist Ashlee Barrett-Bourmier, a frequent tap of Vogue, Chanel, Prada and more. Image credit: Amazon

“Hardly Ever Worn It launching on Luxury Stores at Amazon, marks a new level of visibility for luxury resale,” said Tatiana Wolter Ferguson, CEO of Hardly Ever Worn It, in a statement.

“Our collaboration with Amazon is a testament to our commitment to making high-end circular fashion accessible to a diverse and wide-reaching audience,” Ms. Ferguson said. “By joining one of the world’s most trusted marketplaces, we are able to bring this to fruition, enabling more people to experience the joy of resale.”

Big waves
Amazon, a massive global merchandiser that, last year, generated more than $570 billion in revenue, tested resale out in 2022.

The retailer enlisted What Goes Around Comes Around, a seller in the space, to help (see story). U.S. buyers were the first to be granted access to the preloved goods.

Its partnership with HEWI is Amazon’s latest move to expand its reach in the world of high-end fashion, especially outside of its home market.

The tides within the luxury resale market are shifting. Image credit: Amazon

Online retail platform eBay is another high-key competitor in the realm of secondhand luxury retail, where it has been active since 2019. The site recently updated its program to include jewelry and apparel (see story).

“Luxury Stores at Amazon delivers an inspiring experience for luxury brands,” said Xavier Flamand, vice president of EU seller services at Amazon, in a statement.

“It’s still day one, and we look forward to growing in Europe with pre-owned luxury, and opening a new door for Hardly Ever Worn It to access existing and new luxury customers.”

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