- Pamela Tucker
- 3 days ago
- 15 min read
Vinted, the peer-to-peer resale marketplace, announced in mid-November 2025 it would step up its business efforts in the United States. Since Vinted has been less known than competitors in the United States such as Poshmark and Mercari, it seems a timely opportunity to review the company’s key strategies, strategic advantages, and potential vulnerabilities as well as well as sharing my experience so far with selling to a buyer across the pond.
€8 billion valuation
Vinted, a Vilnius, Lithuania-based company founded in 2008 and now active in about 26 markets, captured significant attention when a November 16, 2025 Financial Times article reported it had reached a valuation of €8 billion, up from €5 billion about a year earlier. The article also noted that a potential share sale, understood to be driven by existing shareholders, was under review that drove this valuation.
Combined with Vinted being profitable for the first time in 2023, again in 2024, and expected to remain so in 2025, the company appears in a strong position. However, resale remains a fiercely competitive market. Success depends on several factors including maintaining efficient, cost-conscious operations and drawing the sellers who provide the inventory that attracts buyers. A closer look at Vinted’s recent strategic moves suggests it understands these challenges well.
Introduced UK-US Connection in November 2025
In mid-November 2025, Vinted CEO Thomas Plantenga announced on LinkedIn, “Next up: testing a UK-US connection to understand our American audience and expand our global reach.” He reiterated this plan during an interview with Bloomberg TV, and the initiative has since drawn widespread coverage.
Although Vinted has operated in the U.S. since 2013, publicly available data suggest its user base has remained small with limited visibility. Recognizing the untapped potential of the U.S. market, the UK-US Connection strategy represents a logical, measured step forward.
The pilot began in late November 2025. According to the Vinted U.S. site, the new feature is currently available only to users in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, as well as those in the UK. The test includes several restrictions:
Only items and bundles valued under £120 (excluding buyer protection, shipping, and customs tax) can be sold from the U.S. to the U.K.
Items must weigh 4.4 lbs or less.
To make the experience appealing, Vinted emphasizes convenience and affordability:
No additional steps are required for international sales; Vinted manages customs processing.
International shipping typically takes 5–8 business days.
Vinted will temporarily cover customs tax for international transactions.
While it remains unclear how long the company will absorb these costs, the limited geographic scope should keep expenses manageable while yielding valuable insights. Once Vinted evaluates results from this pilot, it may choose to expand to additional U.S. regions.
Summary Financial Information
Vinted Limited (A)
Year | Gross Merchandise Value | Revenue | Net Profit |
2022 | Around € 6.2 billion | € 370.2 billion | (€ 20.4 million) loss |
2023 | Around € 9 billion | € 596.3 billion | € 17.8 million (B) |
2024 | Around € 10 billion | € 813.4 billion | € 76.7 million |
2025 Projection (C) | Over € 10 billion | Over €10billion |
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(A) Consolidated Statement including all subsidiaries.
As Vinted does not report specific financial results by country, I’ve relied on widely circulated third-party data in sections below. It is worth noting that while the figures noted in sections below are unofficial, Vinted’s management has not publicly disputed these estimates, suggesting they generally align with the company’s market reality.
(B) First profit ever, in 2023.
(C) Projection from Thomas Platenga, CEO in a mid-November 2025 LinkedIn post.
Summary
Vinted’s Apparent Strategic Advantage | Vinted’s Potential Vulnerabilities |
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Vinted’s Apparent Strategic Advantages Having plentiful inventory is a key success factor for a resale marketplace.
Vinted's ability to attract inventory is believed to be closely tied to its policy of zero selling fees. In fact, zero selling fees seems to be the basis of its business model.
Zero selling fees means Vinted’s sellers receive the full sale price. They do not incur commission costs or payment processing fees, which is the case with many other platforms, such as Mercari, Poshmark and consignment platforms. The zero seller fees is a competitive advantage.
Vinted has a buyer protection fee that supports the zero selling fees.
Every purchase includes this buyer protection fee and is automatically charged. Below is the calculation:
A fixed amount of $0.70; plus
5% of the item price agreed to between the Buyer and the Seller, not including the shipping costs, any additional costs and applicable taxes
Per website, buyer protection fee covers:
Refund for these reasons, item: (1) doesn't arrive (2) arrives damaged (3) is significantly not as described.
Extra measures against fraud.
Support from customer service team. Note that all rules must be followed to receive a refund and these are detailed on the Vinted website.
Transparent with fees so buyers see a breakdown of what is included in the total price.
Sellers using fee based promotion tools are shown the back-up prior to paying for them.
Diversified product lines. When Vinted started, it focused only on second-hand fashion. Has expanded to include other categories such as electronics, home, hobbies and collectibles, toys, games and books.
Ongoing focus on cost control. In an April 25, 2025 website post, when discussing the financial results for 2024, the CEO stated: “This performance is the result of our hard work to deliver products that bring high value for members at the lowest possible cost. We do this by having a relentless focus on cost control, building complex infrastructure ourselves, and innovating to bring new services and solutions at scale. It's this mix of scale, innovation, cost control that helps us succeed.
The infrastructure initiatives include establishing Vinted Go for logistics and Vinted Pay for payments. These are not yet fully integrated and notable is that Vinted Pay is in a pilot phase. (These businesses are discussed in sections below.) “…by having a relentless focus on cost control, building complex infrastructure ourselves, and innovating to bring new services and solutions at scale. It's this mix of scale, innovation, cost control that helps us succeed.” Source: Vinted 2024 Annual Report.
Secondhand shopping is now considered mainstream, which supports continued market expansion Vinted’s alignment with sellers and buyers focus on the environment and sustainability. “A core element of Vinted's strategy is its commitment to encouraging consumption practices that have a lower climate impact.” In 2024, the Group remained dedicated to assessing and disclosing its environmental impact. Source: Vinted 2024 Annual Report.
Vinted’s Potential Vulnerabilities
The secondhand marketplace is highly competitive, and it is intensifying which could impact margins and profits.
For instance, more brands are getting involved with their own resale programs. (Examples: Lululemon Like New, ba&sh Secondhand, Sandro Secondhand)
Expanding into new geographic markets means it must comply with additional regulations and address various delivery and logistical challenges. For instance, in November 2025, it introduced a test UK–US connection. At least for a while Vinted will be responsible for customs related activities and fees, for both markets a new responsibility.
Authenticity issues are a persistent problem. Although the company does not provide formal statistics, there is ongoing negative discussion on social media about counterfeit goods being sold on the platform.
Note: Vinted 2024 Annual Report states: “Additionally, when buying an item of selected categories and brands a user may opt for additional service to verify the authenticity of such item, for a separate fee, in which case the item before being delivered to the buyer undergoes a physical inspection and authenticity.
Per the website:“Item verification is currently available in France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania and Finland.” Also:
A listing must meet the criteria (e.g. price, brands, category) to become eligible for verification. Members will see a diamond badge on items that are eligible.
The service fee is paid for by buyers and is visible on the item page and the checkout.
After checkout, the order is first shipped to the verification hub. After successful verification, the order then goes to the buyer. However, if the item fails verification, it is returned to the seller.
Based on my review of publicly available information, it seems Vinted is focused on “verification” rather than “authentication”. The verification service is a physical inspection by “experts, reviewing the hardware, stitching, serial numbers and logos. If an item passes verification, it receives a “Verified” badge and is sent to the buyer. Authentication usually ends with a written document (or a certificate of authentication) stating an item is genuine. Vinted does not provide such a document or statement.
It cautions sellers: “If the item you listed is sold, you should keep a copy of all their proofs of authenticity before sending the parcel. We may request that you provide documentation (such as invoices or authenticity certificates) showing the authenticity of your items.”
Delivery problems including complaints about taking a long time for deliveries despite the roll-out of Vinted Go as well as reporting problems with other carriers.
Trustpilot has about 39,000 reviews of Vinted Go. It is rated 2.9 stars out of 5.0 stars., with 40% being 1 star. (Note: Even Trustpilot has complaints that it is not truly impartial. Nevertheless, it is included to see at least the types of complaints. https://www.trustpilot.com/review/vintedgo.com
Disputes of purchased items not matching photos and descriptions. As with other resale platforms this is a risk. Once people have had one or a few bad experiences with items they received, or a seller has to deal with a number of false buyer claims, these people could stop dealing with Vinted. Note: Per social media posts, the following events are happening across other resale platforms. I do not have proof from Vinted that these have occurred on the Vinted platform.
Related to this are fraud situations such as:
Empty box scam - Seller sends an empty box and possibly takes photos of the item being packaged. But, then ends up shipping an empty box. The buyer could have a difficult time getting a refund. The buyer could also claim she was sent en empty box, and also would have a problem receiving a refund.
Wardrobing - If a buyer buys an item that has the tags attached, it is possible the buyers wears the item with the tags attached. However, after wearing it one or more times, she decides to return the item. She might say it was not as described and asks for a refund.
Using AI for creating fake damages - A more recent scam is that buyers have been using AI to create fake damages to get a refund and also end up keeping the item that is really in fine condition. Instead of actually damaging the item, she would use AI to change the condition of the item, such as placing a stain on it, or showing a broken zipper. The buyer will show the AI image with the damage and request a refund from the resale platform. Meanwhile the buyer keeps the item that was never damaged, and also receives a refund. The seller could not receive any funds and the item she sold would not be returned to her.
Changes to the app / website that end up frustrating sellers and buyers. For example, what has been considered by many as a poorly communicated update in November 2025 is related to Vinted’s change to its clothing size system. This was in connection with the introduction of the UK-US connection announcement.
The new system grouped sizes (such as Sizes: 4–6;S 12–14;M) rather than having users select single sizes. This made it difficult to search and filter for specific sizes.
The items were automatically recategorized. However, at times items went into the incorrect size range and for those with many listings to correct it was cumbersome as there wasn’t a bulk tool to correct the sizes.
Users concluded Vinted did not give adequate advance warning or clear instructions, leading to a poor experience.
The Vinted Group includes:
Vinted Marketplace
Vinted Go
Vinted Pay
Vinted Ventures
Vinted Marketplace
A peer-to peer resale platform. In addition to clothing, Vinted has broadened the offerings to include electronics, home décor, entertainment and sports. Vinted’s website includes a detailed list of allowed and prohibited items: https://www.vinted.com/catalog-rules.
The most recent country launches include: Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Croatia, Ireland and Greece.
A Few Figures
The largest markets include France, UK and Germany. Third parties report France is its largest market.Vinted does not provide detailed country results.
A few statistics provided by trade publications:
France “The French Fashion Institute (IFM) recently did a consumer survey and has now reported its findings. The survey included retailers that sell online as well as offline. In the first quarter of this year, Vinted is the biggest seller of clothing in France in terms of sales volume. Ecommerce giant Amazon and local seller Kiabi ranked second and third.” Source: ecommercenews.com May 8, 2025.
Germany “According to CEO Plantenga, Vinted is on track for an annual revenue of over 1 billion euros… This is partly due to the strong performance in Germany, which has transformed “from a challenge into a top market” for the recommerce leader.” Source: ecommercenews.com November 17, 2025.
UK “The app entered the UK market in 2013 and has since amassed over 16 million users – nearly a quarter of the country’s population.” Source supplychainoutlook.com October 7, 2025
UK-US Connection
In the middle of November 2025, in a LinkedIn post, Thomas Plantenga Vinted’s CEO wrote: “Next up: testing a UK-US connection to understand our American audience and expand our global reach.” He reiterated this is during an interview with Bloomberg TV and this UK-US strategy has been widely written about.
Vinted has been available in the U.S. since 2013 and publicly available information has characterized Vinted’s US operations as having a small user base along with limited visibility. Realizing the US market is full of potential, this UK-US strategy is a logical step. This initiative started in late November 2025. According to the U.S. website, this new arrangement is available to a limited number of those in the US (only those living in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) and those in the UK.
For the UK-US Connection the U.S. website lists these key features:
Only items and bundles with less than £120 value can be sold from the US to the UK, excluding the buyer protection fee, shipping costs, and custom tax.
Only items weighing 4.4lbs or less can be bought or sold between the US and UK.
Buyers are covered by the buyer protection and refund policy.
The integrated shipping options with tracking is available.
Sellers will get a pre-generated label that they need to attach to their package.
There are no extra steps when selling internationally; the customs process is handled by Vinted.
Vinted will cover the custom tax for international transactions for now.
International shipping usually takes 5-8 business days.
This initiative looks to be a large expense for Vinted as it will be taking care of customs matters. On the other hand, this test is limited to a group of three states and should provide useful learnings.
Vinted Marketplace Generates Revenue in Several Ways
(1) Buyer Protection Fees - Refer to this topic in above section: Vinted’s Apparent Strategic Advantages
(2) Item Bump - A paid feature by the seller added to any listing to increase the chance of selling the item. When bumped, it appears higher in members' newsfeeds and search results for either 3 or 7 consecutive days (depending on the Bump duration), or until the item sells.
The Fee for Bumping listed items is displayed before completion of the Bump order. Any applicable sales tax may also be added at checkout.
The item Bump are for local use, to increase the visibility of items in your registered country.
The cost of the item Bump depends on the market, item type and demand. Typically ranges from $0.75 to $3.00. Source: Vendoo.com June 3, 2025 web post.
(3) Closet Spotlight - A paid feature by seller that can boost all of sellers’ listings' visibility. Valid for 7 consecutive days, it will highlight up to 5 items that a member is most likely to buy from the seller. Buyers may see the Closet Spotlight in their newsfeed and search results. The cost of the Closet Spotlight is $6.95/£6.95 to showcase five items in premium spots for a week. Source:startupbooted.com July 2, 2025 web post.
(4) Vinted Pro - For those seeking to sell high volumes of second-hand items as part of their professional activity. Eligibility criteria must be met and sell items from specified categories.
Currently available to sellers who meet the criteria and are registered in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, the UK, Ireland, Germany, and Austria, with other countries in a test phase and are not listed on the website.
(5) Advertising - Generates revenue from advertising and brand partnerships on its platform. This is prominent in Vinted’s European markets. As of today, I do not see any advertising on the Vinted US site. This makes sense as Vinted is not a big player here.
Vinted Go
Launched in 2022, it is a logistics business, with the goal of lowering shipping and delivery costs across Europe.
“Since its launch in summer 2022 in France, the Vinted Go network has grown to almost 7,000 pick-up points and lockers spanning over 2,000 municipalities in the country. In the Benelux region, Vinted Go joined forces with the Dutch delivery scale-up Homerr, creating one of the largest PUDO (Pick Up Dropp Off) networks in the region. As we expand, applications to become a Vinted Go location in Spain or Portugal are now open.” Source: Vinted press release April 9, 2025.
“Vinted Go continued successfully scaling its logistics operations to offer low-cost, convenient shipping to Vinted members via locker and pick-up-drop-off networks. Building on extensive networks in France and the Benelux region, this year Vinted Go is expanding into Spain and Portugal.” Source: Vinted press release April 28, 2025. “By the end of 2025, Vinted's ambition is to develop the network with lockers and parcel shops in the biggest cities in Spain and Portugal.” Source: Vinted press release April 9, 2025.
Vinted Pay
The goal is to replace the third party payout service companies. Vinted Pay is in a pilot phase and does not yet operate across all of Vinted’s markets. “The company is building an in-house wallet and payout service for its members, in what it says is a bid to “create a more seamless, secure and user-friendly way to make payments through the app’ As of November 2025, “Vinted Pay is currently testing an in-house wallet service with a small group of members in Lithuania, Finland, Greece, Slovakia, and Croatia.” Source: Vogue.com (Vogue Business) November 21, 2025. With Vinted handling the money themselves, they reduce their processing fees, which in turn should benefit the buyers and sellers.
Vinted Pay is not yet available in major markets such as France, Germany, the UK, or Spain, and most users in those regions are still required to use external payment providers like Checkout.com, Adyen, and Clearpay for transactions.
Vinted Ventures
An investment fund, which will invest in re-commerce startups.
Vinted publicly announced in 2025. a new venture fund that will act as an investor with an operator mindset to fuel future growth opportunities in European re-commerce.
Vinted Ventures will target Series A to Series C stage companies, with ticket sizes ranging from €0.5M to €10M.” Source: Vinted press release April 28, 2025.
“Get access to insights from experienced executives at Vinted. They can offer personalised guidance and practical expertise to help you navigate challenges and opportunities.” Source: Vinted website.
Have been unable to find if any investments have yet been undertaken.
My Vinted UK-US Experience; So Far
The new Vinted UK-US connection sounded intriguing. Since the other resale platforms I use are limited to domestic US buyers, I decided it was time for an adventure!
The Strategy Last week, I listed a test item: a Florida mug from the Starbucks "You Are Here" collection. I intentionally listed it at a low price due to Vinted's policy: "For international shipments, compensation for lost or damaged packages is up to $27." By choosing a low-value item, I ensured my costs would be covered if the item was lost or damaged during this test run.
The Sale Within minutes of listing, three users, all located in the United Kingdom "favorited" the mug. One buyer sent an offer, which I accepted. The process was identical to a domestic sale, with the buyer covering the shipping costs.
The Logistics About 15 minutes after the sale confirmation, I received the shipping label. I noticed it was addressed to a third-party processing center in Springfield Gardens, NY, located near JFK airport. While initially confusing, this makes sense: this domestic hub likely acts as the freight forwarder. I packed the mug heavily in bubble wrap (see photo) and included a note for the buyer regarding the carrier.
Vinted is vague about the specific logistics, simply stating: "There are no extra steps when you trade internationally – even the customs process is handled for you." My assumption is that the Springfield Gardens facility receives the package, handles the customs data, and applies the final international label.
The Tracking Data I dropped off the package and received a receipt from the USPS on November 28, 2025. Between then and the afternoon of November 30, 2025, there were 17 updates that provided the comment: "Departed Facility." When clicked, the words "Departed Post Office" appears. (Please refer to image.)
This isn't really a glitch, but it is an annoyance that lacks really useful data. It is unlikely that the package went to 17 different post offices on the way to the third-party carrier located about 20 miles from my local post office. Yet, the notification of estimated delivery date, Dec. 9 - Dec. 11 (which would be 7 to 9 business days), is somewhat in line with the statement on the Vinted website: "Shipping typically takes 5-8 business days." I shall be monitoring the steps.
Conclusion
Vinted has been profitable since fiscal 2023, has attracted sellers and buyers by adding product lines, entering new markets and is focused on cost control strategies by developing new business lines such as Vinted Go and Vinted Pay. The November 2025 start of the test UK-US connection is something to watch, though it is uncertain if findings will be disclosed. Key takeaways include that by controlling costs and diversifying its services, Vinted is actively forging ahead for a higher valuation and securing its competitive edge in the market.
Full Disclosure: The content provided is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional or financial advice. I have no personal or professional relationship with Vinted, its employees, or its investors. I have received no compensation for this review. All research regarding specific Vinted data points was conducted between November 21, 2025 and November 23, 2025. My sale to a Vinted buyer in the UK took place on November 27, 2025 and all shipping updates were reviewed between November 28, 2025 and November 30, 2025. With the exception of the Florida coffee mug image, the bubble wrapped package image and the shipping history image, all images were created by Gemini AI.
