TikTok Shop expands with second-hand luxury fashion in Great Britain

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Access to second-hand luxury goods

UK shoppers will now have the chance to buy second-hand luxury clothing, designer handbags and other accessories directly through the TikTok app.

Initially, just five British brands will be on the platform: Sellier, Sign of the Times, Luxe Collective, HardlyEverWornIt and Break Archive.

Since its inception in 2022, TikTok Shop has reported impressive sales figures with approximately $1 billion worth of products sold.

Tackling counterfeiting problems with special policies

Despite its success, concerns have been raised about the possibility of counterfeit and substandard products on the platform, a common problem faced by major e-commerce sites such as Amazon and eBay.

To combat this, TikTok Shop has introduced an anti-counterfeit policy that promises a full refund if a seller is found to have sold a counterfeit product.

The company is also in talks with luxury goods company LVMH to further tackle counterfeiting issues Bloomberg.

Authentication measures for second-hand brands

In the US, all second-hand brands on TikTok Shop must obtain certificates from third-party authenticators.

To ensure the authenticity of designer handbags on its platform, TikTok has joined forces with authentication services Entrupy and Real Authentication.

On the other hand, a TikTok representative did confirm this TechCrunch that all five UK brands launching on the platform have their own internal authentication process.

TikTok Shop responds to the booming market for second-hand luxury

The entry into the pre-owned luxury industry is a strategic move by TikTok Shop to tap into the booming pre-owned luxury goods market, which was worth $49.3 billion in 2023.

This expansion is in line with the growing trend of consumers embracing second-hand fashion, giving second-hand brands in the UK the opportunity to connect with a wider audience.

The popularity of secondhand fashion on TikTok is evident: there are more than 144,000 posts with the hashtag #secondhandfashion, which have been viewed approximately 1.2 billion times.

A possible US ban could impact TikTok’s e-commerce arm

The latest development comes amid news that the US House of Representatives has passed a bill requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the app or face a possible ban in the US. This move could have significant implications for US sellers selling through TikTok Shop.