Bridal retailer Kleinfeld Bridal has introduced an online marketplace for pre-owned wedding dresses.
KleinfeldAgain.com, announced Tuesday (June 18), is designed to address the “growing consumer movement toward circular fashion,” the company said, while meeting the needs of the bride “who doesn’t seek the traditional bridal experience in a salon with family and friends,” along with a trustworthy place to sell dresses.
“Today’s bride is savvy and tech-forward, and KleinfeldAgain.com allows her to shop for her wedding dress anywhere on conditions that are important to her, whether that’s designer, style, price, sustainability, or lead-time,” said Ronnie Rothstein, co-owner of Kleinfeld Bridal.
With the new marketplace, dresses undergo verification by the company’s team of experts to guarantee the garment’s authenticity. To sell a dress on the platform, a seller signs up for a KleinfeldAgain.com listing at $9.95 per month, with the option to upgrade optimal exposure. From there, sellers can dictate the price they want for their dresses.
The launch of the marketplace comes amid a resurgence in resale shopping, driven by millennial consumers.
Research by PYMNTS Intelligence shows that among consumers who purchased secondhand products last year, 52% of millennials have increased their resale shopping. They were also the only generation in which most secondhand shoppers were buying more pre-owned items year over year, the research showed.
“Millennials often face financial challenges, including student loan debt, high living costs and the impact of economic recessions,” PYMNTS wrote recently. “Secondhand shopping offers a cost-effective way to obtain goods, making it a practical choice for many millennials trying to manage their budgets.”
In addition, millennials have witnessed the advent and growth of online marketplaces like eBay, Poshmark, ThredUp and Facebook Marketplace.
“[C]onsumer confidence is actually now down … three months in a row,” ThredUp CEO and co-founder James Reinhart told analysts on the company’s earnings call last month. “I think the consumer is a little bit more cautious.”
Elsewhere on the wedding front, PYMNTS spoke last month with Kelly Cook, president of brand, technology and finance at David’s Bridal, about the demand among “renewly weds” — people who are renewing their vows — to make the occasion special.
“I had a chance meeting with a bride — a beautiful older lady in a store,” Cook said. “We were chatting, and she had on a full bridal gown, and I said, ‘Oh my gosh, are you getting married?’ … and she goes, ‘Oh, we’re having a vow renewal ceremony’ … What’s better than marrying the first time than marrying the love of your life again?”
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