Sustainability has been embedded in Vinted’s strategy since it launched in 2008, and in June 2022, former Booking.com sustainability director Marianne Gybels joined the business to turbo-charge these efforts.
Based in Utrect, the Netherlands, with her two children and partner, senior director for sustainability Gybels direct reports, who serve as sustainability partners and advisers for the main Vinted Marketplace and shipping service Vinted Go.
“We all know that the fashion industry causes significant harm to our planet, and we feel we have an opportunity to contribute to change this,” Gybels tells Drapers.
It is an exciting time to be in fashion resale. This year, Vinted celebrates 10 years since launching in the UK, where it has 16 million users. Globally, it has 65 million users across 21 countries. Its newest markets include are Finland and Sweden, where it launched in the last quarter of 2023. Soaring revenue growth is helping it inch closer to profitability: in June 2023, Vinted Group reported a 51% year-on-year rise in revenue for the 12 months to 31 December 2022 to €370.2m (£321.7m). Pre-tax losses were cut 62.3% to €42.9m (£37.2m).
As these numbers suggest, consumers continue to flock to pre-loved fashion. The cost of living crisis is helping, encouraging consumers to make extra cash by selling unwanted items as well as cutting spending by shopping second hand – although new tax regulations that came into effect at the start of the year require marketplaces to declare the earnings of their sellers.
Founded in 2008 by Milda Mitkute and Justas Janauskas, Vinted was born out of Mitkute’s – then 21 years old – need to offload some of her clothing collection ahead of a house move.
“I was surprised at the 100 pieces of clothing that I had worn only once or not at all. I thought: wouldn’t it be great if my friends could look at my wardrobe online and vice versa?” Mitkute told Drapers in July 2021.
Vinted’s sustainability efforts today extend beyond the buying and selling of pre-loved fashion. June 2022, the etailer branched out into fulfilment with Vinted Go, which aims to tackle the high carbon footprint of online fashion orders. It offers 220,000 pick-up and drop-off points across Europe as an alternative to home delivery, and uses electric vehicles to transport parcels between these points.
Ahead of Drapers Sustainable Fashion Conference and Awards on 13 March in London, where Gybels revealed how the marketplace had accelerated its global growth, she shared her tips for a more sustainable fashion life.
What is the first thing you do when you get up?
I wake up and immediately dive into the shower. I am not a morning person and love to ease into the day.
What is your coffee order?
Black coffee to kickstart the day and an almond milk cappuccino in the late morning, to enjoy while I take a break from my work.
What is the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
I love my dark blue Samsøe Samsøe AW2020 winter coat (right) I invested in a few years ago. It keeps me comfortable throughout the unpredictable Dutch winter climate.
How would you describe your style?
[It is] no surprise that I love fashion that lasts. I usually wear timeless pieces that I can combine well to create a new style and look. And of course, most of the items in my wardrobe are second hand.
What tool or app makes your work easier?
Workflow efficiency is key for me: apps like Trello and Slack are invaluable in streamlining communication and keeping my slightly chaotic self on top of the right things.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Not advice but more a motto I live by: you must want to spend the rest of your life with yourself first. This reminds me to do things that make me a person I would want to hang out with, to spend my time doing things I enjoy and that make me feel good. If I am the best version of myself, I am probably also a better version for others.
How do you switch off from work?
I love being in the woods – this is my happy place. To completely clear my head I surround myself with green to get a fresh perspective. But on a day-to-day basis, I love to listen to a podcast, usually catching up with current affairs to be able to place things in perspective.
What is the last book you read?
Humankind: a New History of Human Nature by [Dutch popular historian] Rutger Bregman. I love the optimism of his books and how he looks at history to create a better understanding of today’s world.
What are the main challenges for incorporating sustainability into a fashion retail business in 2024?
As a marketplace for buyers and sellers, the main challenge we see lies in changing consumer behaviour and perceptions around sustainability. It is important to close the gap between the positive attitude consumers have towards sustainable consumption and their actual consumption behaviour. We need to make sure that more sustainable second-hand products become a viable alternative for new.
If you did not work in the fashion industry, what would be your dream job?
Cheesy but true, working in sustainability is very close to my dream job: being able to make a positive impact on the world and to support the needed transition into more sustainable consumption. But if I had to do something completely different, I would love to run a bookstore that is also a coffee shop. I love to spend time in these types of places so it would be a joy to be in that kind of environment every day. A place where people come to connect, relax and read is my happy place.
