The manager of Vinted sees a big change in consumer behavior like the second booms

Online resale app Vinted is seeing a shift in consumer behavior, as trends form in the resale economy, the company’s marketing manager told CNBC on Monday.

Vinted, a buyer-to-buyer platform that allows customers to sell unwanted items such as clothing, electronics, or furniture, has seen rapid growth in recent years, fueled by consumers looking for value amid the rising cost of living around the world.

The number of items sold on Vinted grew by almost 50% last year, as it was launched in many European markets.

“It’s a significant shift in second-hand consumption, and I think that’s here to stay,” Adam Jay, CEO of Vinted Marketplace, told CNBC. “Vinted was growing well before the current economic crisis, cost of living crisis, inflation, and has continued to grow well during times of crisis and depression.”

His comments come as Vinted in late April completed a second stock exchange for 880 million euros ($1.02 billion), valuing the Lithuanian startup at more than $9 billion.

Vinted’s rapid growth and multibillion-dollar valuation have fueled intense speculation about a potential blockbuster IPO.

The company’s strong financial health also suggests that it is under little pressure to write quickly, as it is cash and able to raise nearly a billion euros in private capital.

Management hinted at an upcoming IPO but did not provide a timeline. Jay said he was happy with the current investors, but declined to comment on the time and place of a potential IPO.

A second transaction led by EQT brought in new investors such as Schroders Capital and BlackRockand saw existing shareholders such as Baillie Gifford increase their position.

It introduced “institutional, long-term investors who can tap the private and public markets, while providing capital to existing shareholders and employees,” Vinted said at the time. The company did not raise new capital for the project.

Online used clothing is growing rapidly, and at twice the pace of the overall market, according to market research firm GlobalData.

The strong growth is partly because the second-hand market represents a win-win for buyers and sellers, according to Jay. “This trend has been established, it has a huge social impact, climate impact, and that… includes being a Vinted equation.”

Vinted coined the term “Vinted math,” referring to consumers who view secondhand as a convenient and affordable option, and consider resale value when purchasing new items.

Vinted users will save 21.6 billion euros on fashion in 2025, compared to retail prices, paying on average 72% less than the original price, according to the company’s 2025 Impact report.

Vinted is now trying to take that formula across the Atlantic and into new categories.

“It took us a long time before we decided to go beyond fashion, and we had to make sure that our fashion market was active across Europe,” says Jay.

“We were afraid because many of our members told us that they like Vinted because it is simple, easy to use, it is clear how it works, and we were afraid that we will lose that as we start recording in other categories.”

Finally, it had enough signs to prompt immediate action, such as the response from users who were savvy to selling non-fashion items even before Vinted officially expanded its categories beyond clothing.

Vinted is currently present in 26 countries, with France and the UK being the largest markets. The company has been present in the US since 2013, but at the beginning of this year it started working more on marketing its product and trying to expand that market.

There is a “huge opportunity” in the US, but success could take “weeks, months, and maybe years,” Jay said.

It has historically been a challenge for European technology and consumer companies to successfully bring their business models to the US

One of the biggest challenges in taking on the US market is the high cost of transportation, Jay said.

Vinted is also building its shipping and payments infrastructure with Vinted Go and Vinted Pay. Its expansion into logistics, fund infrastructure, and new markets is influencing the company’s mindset.

Gross profit is down 19% in 2025 compared to last year. Even though revenue rose 38% to 1.1 billion euros. The gross merchandise value (GMV) increased by 47% to 10.8 billion euros.

The platform also still has some way to go before it can compete with popularity, for example eBaywhich reported a GMV of 79.6 billion by 2025. EBay also recently said it plans to buy fashion marketplace Depop. Etsy with an estimated $1.2 billion to strengthen its fashion offering and attract young people.

“We’re here for the long haul,” Jay said in response to a question about whether rapid expansion is the best use of money for a company headed for the public markets. “We’re trying to make an investment, it’s all unpleasant things, making an unsavory investment makes the first choice in the world.”