Melissa Hoyer
There’s a particular kind of guilt that comes from opening your wardrobe and seeing tags still attached to things you swore you’d wear “for the right occasion.”
Turns out I’m not alone. Nearly a third of Australians are sitting on clothes they’ve never worn – tags and all – and from July 1, there’s a very simple incentive to finally do something about it.
Vinted, the European second-hand marketplace that’s already reshaped how millions of people shop and sell pre-loved fashion, is officially launching in Australia.
And the research it’s commissioned ahead of the launch suggests the timing is almost suspiciously good.
The numbers are wild with 88% of Australians reckon they’ve got items at home worth selling. Nearly 1-in-8 think that stash is worth more than $1,000.
We’re a nation of accidental hoarders who’ve simply never had an easy enough reason to deal with it. But here’s the bit that surprised me: it’s not really about the money.
Decluttering is the number one reason people sell second-hand (67%), comfortably ahead of cost-of-living pressure (42%) and wanting extra cash (31%). We’re not flogging our old stuff because we’re desperate – we’re doing it because clutter is genuinely stressing us out. Almost half of Australians say a messy home affects their mental load. That is a vibe that is definitely tracking with me at the moment …. A wardrobe full of “just in case” pieces is basically unresolved admin you walk past every morning.
So how does Vinted work?
The pitch is refreshingly low-friction: zero selling fees, so whatever you list, you keep. Sellers post an item, and once it sells, you get a prepaid Australia Post shipping label and drop it at the post office – no boxes, no awkward Marketplace handovers in a Bunnings car park.
Buyers get a Buyer Protection fee that covers them if something arrives damaged, lost, or not as described.
It’s the model that’s already made Vinted a juggernaut in Europe with CEO Adam Jay noting European members collectively saved an estimated $35B in 2025 by choosing second-hand over new, with buyers saving an average of 72% on fashion.
Jay says the ambition for Australia is the same: “to make second-hand the first choice.”
Buying second-hand isn’t just a budget move, it’s become a bit of a hobby in its own right. Almost 3-in-10 pre-loved shoppers say they enjoy the hunt for its own sake, and more than a quarter are after pieces that actually reflect their personal style, rather than whatever’s hanging in every shop window this season.
Nearly 1-in-5 people who upped their second-hand buying this year say it started as a cost-cutting decision and turned into something they just, umm, enjoy.
Vinted launches in Australia July 1 via the app or vinted.com.au.
