<p><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5e56a852fee23d05ed2e99e3-1196/christies closet.jpg" border="0" alt="Christie's Closet" data-mce-source="Courtesy of Christie's Closet"></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>Instagram and eBay ... meet Depop.</p><p>The social shopping app combines an e-commerce marketplace with a photo-grid aesthetic that enables users to buy and sell secondhand clothing and accessories.</p><p>Launched in Milan in 2011 and now based in London, the app has gained 13 million users in 147 countries around the world, Rachel Swidenbank, vice president of marketplace at Depop, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teens-earn-money-fashion-depop-app-2019-4">previously told Business Insider's Mary Hanbury</a>. </p><p>The app has gained a particularly strong foothold among Gen Zaccording to Swidenbank, 90% of Depop's users are under the age of 26. "This company is for the next generation," she said. The company's mission is to empower them to disrupt the fashion industry and give them the chance to become entrepreneurs.</p><p>In mid-2019, the company raised $62 million, which it plans to use to expand in the US and triple its user base in the country. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-teens-sell-more-on-depop-than-their-uk-counterparts-2019-6">Depop CEO Maria Raga told Hanbury</a> Depops' data shows that US teens are more entrepreneurially minded than their UK peers, who are already cashing in big on the app.</p><p>Depop sellers can pull in as much as $300,000 a year and have been able to buy houses and cars before they've even reached college age, Swidenbank said. Depop takes a cut of this, making 10% on each transaction. </p><p>Business Insider spoke to two Depop sellers about how they grew the shops that began as side hustles. While both remained tight-lipped on specific earnings, they're now running their shops full-time and have cultivated more than 130,000 followers.</p><p><strong>Here's how they turned their Depop shops into full-fledged businesses, and their advice on how you can achieve the same.</strong></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/poshmark-sellers-made-side-hustles-six-figure-businesses-2020-1" >How entrepreneurs use apps like Poshmark to turn side hustles selling clothes into full-time gigs earning 6 figures or more</a></strong></p><p><strong>DON'T MISS: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ultimate-guide-selling-poshmark-according-6-figure-sellers" >The ultimate guide to starting a side hustle on hot resale app Poshmark that can net you $100,000 in extra income</a></strong></p><h3>Open your shop with consistency</h3><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5e56a3e4fee23d7f6f00e794-400-300/open-your-shop-with-consistency.jpg" alt="" /><p><p>Part of Depop's appeal to young shoppers is is the ease of setting up shop on the app, listing new items, and engaging with a community from your smartphone. But once they set up shop, they need to remain active by steadily dedicating time and effort to it.</p><p>Take the time to figure out what works, and stick with it. Christie Eccles of UK- and Australia-based <a href="https://www.depop.com/christiescupboard/">Christie's Cupboard</a> told Business Insider that consistency is important when trying to grow your shop. "Post at the times when you would be shopping," she added. "Late nights are usually when I make a lot of my sales."</p><p>Eccles opened up her Depop shop to make a bit of extra money while working part-time. Once she began making more money running Depop than at her job, she said she quit her job and began running the shop full-time. After eight months of this, she said she had acquired 50,000 followers. According to her, it took two years to acquire her current 136,000 followers.</p><p>Fiona Short of <a href="https://www.depop.com/fionashort/">Fifi's Closet</a> in the UK also found power in consistency. She told Business Insider that consistent uploading helped her shop bring in a progressive earning within a few weeks of opening it. Within a year, she said, the shop began to pick up steady growth in followers and by year three it reached 100,000 followers. It's continued to grow since then, now at 170,000 followers in its fourth year.</p><p> </p><p> </p></p><br/><br/><h3>Curate and photograph visually interesting stock</h3><img src="https://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5e56a42efee23d7fc1515ee8-400-300/curate-and-photograph-visually-interesting-stock.jpg" alt="" /><p><p>Rachel Swidenbank, vice president of marketplace at Depop, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teens-earn-money-fashion-depop-app-2019-4">previously told Business Insider's Mary Hanbury</a> that buying secondhand clothes enables shoppers to dress in more unique ways, which is exactly what Gen Z wants. "Young people class cool as being unique," she said. </p><p>Depop shops are identifying trends two to three months before they hit mainstream fashion, she added: "If you look at how [Depop sellers] build their following on their shops it's all about styling themselves, it's not about this product or this brand. You really see self-expression trumping brands and brand loyalty."</p><p>Both Eccles and Short found success by selling pieces that tap into their peers' desire for self-expression. "Provide your customers with something you are interested in and enjoy," Short said. "This gives you the natural ability to connect with and know how to provide them with the best service and product."</p><p>Eccles said she looks at the season's key trends and curates vintage pieces so that she can source interesting stock that stands out. But interesting stock only matters if you're displaying it in a way that makes shoppers take notice, which Eccles said is the most important step to growing your shop. Using a good camera and natural light or studio lights to capture your stock with clear photos makes a huge difference, she added.</p><p>According to her, Depop is more likely to feature shoppers on its explore page if you have an eye-catching page. Depop's explore page features items for sale from various Depop shops, curated by its editorial team. "It's the best way to grow your shop fast," she said. </p><p> </p></p><br/><br/><h3>Cater to the market at the right price</h3><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5e56a558fee23d7d306c8503-400-300/cater-to-the-market-at-the-right-price.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><a href="https://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY-rise-of-gen-znew-challenge-for-retailers/%24FILE/EY-rise-of-gen-znew-challenge-for-retailers.pdf">Experts say</a> Gen Z is not only more cost-conscious than previous generations were at their age, but also more sustainability-minded and entrepreneurial. This makes Depop an ideal channel for them — they can sell their own items, giving clothes a second life and making money from it. "It fulfills both habits," Swidenbank told Hanbury.</p><p>Eccles' shop describes her clothes as "handpicked vintage gems," while Short's reads as "sustainably sources" and "preloved gems." Both tout having eco packaging. Since clothes on Depop are typically secondhand or upcycled, Eccles and Short are strategic when pricing so that shoppers can get a fair value while they get profit.</p><p>Eccles said her average listing price ranges from £40 in summer to £60 in winter when she's selling more jackets. When pricing clothes, she said she looks at how rare an item is, what brand it is, and what others are selling it for in the marketplace.</p><p>It's very dependent on the item, she said: "If it's a plainer piece, I might only make a mark up of £2, but if it's a rare piece I've found for a really good price the mark up could be much more."</p><p>When pricing pieces, Short considers both its affordability to customers and its unique qualities. She said her pieces have an average pricing between £14 to £25 per piece, although Fifi's Closet has more and less expensive items in the shop to cater to everyone.</p><p> </p></p><br/><br/><h3>Expand your business by investing back into the shop and building a team</h3><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5e56a5c7fee23d02c946c896-400-300/expand-your-business-by-investing-back-into-the-shop-and-building-a-team.jpg" alt="" /><p><p>Once you've maintained a steady presence and profit, start stepping up key business decisions to take your shop to the next level. Short made two: reinvesting in her shop and building a team.</p><p>She recommends investing the initial shop profit back into your Depop shop, which helps you continue to stay consistent and curate your shop. "Building your stock selection within your shop while increasing exposure and activity through regular reposting and posting will improve your sales," she said. </p><p>As Fifi's Closet grew from profile to brand, Short began to build a team with her sister and close friends. "Teamwork has been an integral part of our growth," she said.</p><p>This helped her to split the business up into sections, which she said she fine-tunes over time to create growth and see which areas need improving. Each section also affects one another, she said.</p><p>"For example, delivery, product design and price, communication and ethos all factor into building a positive relationship with our customers," Short explained. "It can feel quite overwhelming to a new shop owner, but if you focus on observing and improving each cog at a time, you will soon see steady growth."</p><p> </p></p><br/><br/><h3>Expand to different platforms and avenues</h3><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5e56a77dfee23d0b443b8a43-400-300/expand-to-different-platforms-and-avenues.jpg" alt="" /><p><p>Both <a href="https://www.instagram.com/christiescupboard/">Eccles</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fifisclosetuk/">Short</a> don't rely solely on their Depop page for business. They also promote their Depop items on Instagram to drive a different source of traffic to the shop. Eccles said this strategy has helped sales a lot. </p><p>Once a Depop shop becomes successful, Depop sellers can expand their business to different avenues. While she didn't disclose how much she's made, Eccles said her earnings from DePop allowed her to start her own luxury swim and clothing label, <a href="https://www.mittsu.co.uk/">Mittsu</a>, with her friend. "It's given me the freedom to be able to move to Australia for the time being to focus on designing the next Mittsu collection." </p><p> </p></p><br/><br/>
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