I remember visiting a friend in Lyon, France, back in 2019. We were sitting in a café, and she was scrolling furiously through her phone. I asked if she was checking Instagram. "No," she laughed, "I'm buying my wardrobe for next week." She showed me her screen: it was Vinted. She had just purchased a Sezane blouse for 20 Euros and a pair of Levi's for 15 Euros. She explained that in France, buying new clothes at retail price was becoming almost culturally taboo among her circle. It wasn't just about saving money; it was a lifestyle shift.
That moment stuck with me because, at the time, I was used to the high-friction, high-fee world of American resale platforms. Vinted felt different. It felt like a utility, not a social network. Fast forward to 2026, and Vinted hasn't just grown; it has conquered an entire continent. It has fundamentally changed how Europeans dress, ship, and think about commerce. If you are an American seller looking at the numbers, you might be baffled by how a platform with no seller fees keeps the lights on. But to understand the success, you have to look under the hood of the European consumer psyche.
The Economic Flip: The "No Seller Fee" Revolution
The single biggest reason for Vinted's dominance is its business model. Most platforms, like eBay or Poshmark, tax the seller. You do the work, you take the photos, you ship the item, and the platform takes 13% to 20% of your earnings.Vinted flipped the script.The Seller pays 0%.The Buyer pays the fee.
Here's where it gets interesting... This psychological shift changed the inventory. On Poshmark, because I know I'm losing 20%, I have to price my items higher to make a profit. I ignore the cheap stuff because it's not worth my time. On Vinted, because I keep 100% of the sale price, I am willing to list a T-shirt for €3.
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The Result: Vinted became the "Digital Garage Sale" of Europe. It captured the massive volume of fast fashion (Zara, H&M, Mango) that other platforms ignored.
My Anecdote: I tried to sell a bundle of basic baby clothes on eBay UK years ago. After fees and postage, I made £4. It felt like a waste of time. I listed the same bundle on Vinted. I priced it at £10. The buyer paid the shipping and the "Buyer Protection Fee." I received exactly £10 in my bank account. I was hooked. I immediately went through my attic and listed 50 more items that same weekend. The friction of "calculating fees" was gone.
The Logistics Network: Lockers Over Porches
In the US, we are obsessed with home delivery. We want the package left on our porch. In Europe, that model is expensive and inefficient. Vinted exploded because it integrated perfectly with "Out-of-Home" (OOH) delivery networks.
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Mondial Relay (France/Spain)
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InPost (Poland/UK)
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Homerr (Netherlands)
How it works: As a seller, I don't wait for a courier. I walk to the grocery store down the street, scan a QR code at a locker or counter, and drop off the bag. As a buyer, I pick it up from a locker near my work.The Cost: Because the courier is delivering to one locker instead of 50 houses, shipping is dirt cheap. You can often ship a package internationally (e.g., France to Italy) for €3 or €4.
Opinion: The US is years behind on this. Poshmark's $7.97 flat rate shipping is great for heavy items, but it kills the market for light items. Vinted's integration of tiered, cheap locker shipping is the real MVP of their success.
Cross-Border Commerce: The United States of Europe
One of the most fascinating aspects of why is vinted popular in Europe is how it erased borders. The European Union allows for the free movement of goods. Vinted built the tech to facilitate it. A seller in Vilnius, Lithuania, can list a dress.A buyer in Paris, France, sees it. The app automatically translates the description from Lithuanian to French. The shipping label is generated automatically. The transaction feels local.
How Closo helps me predict demand across categories 6 weeks ahead: Using Closo Demand Signals, I’ve noticed distinct trends moving across borders. For example, "Scandinavian Minimalism" (brands like COS and Arket) often trends in Germany about 4 weeks before it spikes in Southern Europe.
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The Strategy: Smart resellers buy these brands in Italy (where they might be less popular) and list them to target German buyers on Vinted.
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The Tech: Closo helps identify these arbitrage opportunities by tracking search volume by region.
Vinted vs. Poshmark: A Cultural Clash
When comparing Vinted vs. Poshmark, you are comparing two different philosophies.
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Poshmark: "Social Commerce." You follow people. You share listings. It is high effort. It is a community.
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Vinted: "Transactional Commerce." It is a search engine. I want a red dress. I search "red dress." I buy it. I don't care who sold it.
Honest Failure: I tried to use Poshmark strategies on Vinted. I sent "thank you" notes. I wrapped items in tissue paper with ribbons.
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The Feedback: None.
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The Reality: Vinted buyers just want the item. They don't want the fluff. In fact, many Europeans view excessive packaging as wasteful (a big cultural no-no). I wasted money on tissue paper that went straight into the recycling bin.
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Lesson: Match the effort to the platform. Vinted is about speed and utility.
The Second-Hand First Mentality
There is a cultural layer here that cannot be ignored. In many parts of Europe (especially Scandinavia, Germany, and France), sustainability is not just a buzzword; it is a civic duty. There is "Flight Shame" (Flygskam) regarding air travel,and there is "Fast Fashion Shame." Vinted positioned itself not as a way to "make money," but as a way to "save the planet." Their slogan "Don't wear it? Sell it." (Tu ne le portes pas ? Vends-le !) became ingrained in the public consciousness.
Parenthetical Aside: (I have friends in Berlin who would be embarrassed to admit they bought a brand new jacket from Primark, but would proudly show off the same jacket if they bought it second-hand on Vinted. The status symbol is the method of acquisition, not just the brand.)
Managing the Chaos with Closo
The downside of Vinted is volume. Because items are cheap, you have to sell a lot of them to make real money. Managing 500 listings on Vinted, while also trying to sell the higher-end stuff on eBay or Depop, is a logistical nightmare.
I use Closo 100% Free Crosslister to solve this volume problem.
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The Workflow: I take photos of my inventory. I list the high-value items on Vestiaire Collective or eBay first.
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The Cascade: I use Closo to push the mid-tier and lower-tier items to Vinted.
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The Sync: If I sell that Zara jacket on Vinted, Closo automatically pulls it from my eBay store.
I use Closo to automate this syncing – saves me about 3 hours weekly of checking my phone to see what sold where.
The Rise of "Vinted Pro" and Business Sellers
For years, Vinted was strictly Peer-to-Peer (C2C). But recently, they launched Vinted Pro in France. This allows registered businesses and vintage shops to sell on the platform.
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Why this matters: It legitimizes the platform. It brings in higher quality inventory.
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The limitation: It creates more competition for the casual seller. The "Pro" sellers have better photos and often use tools to cross-list.
Now the tricky part... Taxes. Europe has introduced DAC7. This is a directive that requires platforms like Vinted to report seller income to the tax authorities once they hit certain thresholds (usually 30 sales or €2,000). This caused a panic. Many casual sellers left. But the serious ones stayed, and the market corrected itself.
Best Categories: What Actually Sells on Vinted?
If you are wondering what drives the volume, it isn't Gucci. It is the "High Street."
1. Kids' Clothes (Bundles) Moms are the power users of Vinted.
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The Behavior: They buy a "bundle" of 10 items for their growing toddler.
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The Price: €15 for the whole lot.
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Why it works: Kids outgrow clothes in months. Buying new is a waste. Vinted is the perfect circular solution.
2. Fast Fashion (Zara, Mango, H&M) These brands retain surprisingly high value on Vinted. A Zara dress that cost €50 new will often sell for €25 on Vinted. That is a 50% retention, which is incredible for mass-market clothing.
3. Sneakers (The French Connection) France is obsessed with sneakers. Vinted introduced an "Item Verification Service" (optional paid authentication) to combat scams, making it safer to trade Nikes and Yeezys.
Honest Failure: The Luxury Trap
I once found a vintage Burberry trench coat. I listed it on Vinted for €200.
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The Response: Silence. Then, lowball offers for €80.
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The Issue: The typical Vinted user is looking for a bargain, not an investment piece. They filtered by "Price: Low to High." My coat was invisible to them.
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The Fix: I moved the coat to Vestiaire Collective. It sold for €250.
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Lesson: Poshmark vs. Vinted isn't just about fees; it's about the buyer's wallet size. Keep the luxury off Vinted unless you want to sell it for pennies.
Comparison: Vinted vs. Poshmark vs. Depop
The Tech Underbelly: Vinted's Algorithm
Vinted's search algorithm is very simple compared to eBay. It is chronological.
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The Bump: Vinted sells "Bumps" (Spotlight). You pay roughly €1 to push your item to the top of the feed for 3 days.
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Does it work? Yes, for high-demand items.
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My Strategy: I only pay for a Bump if the item is worth more than €30. If I'm selling a €5 shirt, paying €1 to advertise it eats 20% of my profit. It makes no sense.
Closo AI Agents are useful here too. They can help rewrite your description to include the keywords that Europeans are actually searching for. For example, in France, you don't say "Size Small," you say "Taille 36." If you don't get the localization right, the algorithm ignores you.
People always ask me...
Can I sell on Vinted Europe if I am in the US?
No. The platforms are geofenced. Vinted US exists, but it is a separate app with a completely separate user base and logistics network. You cannot ship from New York to Paris via the Vinted app. The US version of Vinted is growing, but it does not have the dominance that the European version has.
Is Vinted safe from scams?
Generally, yes, but you have to stay on the platform. The most common scam is a buyer sending you a message asking for your email address "to confirm the order." Never give your email. Vinted handles all payments in-app. If you stay inside the app's ecosystem, the "Buyer Protection" and seller safeguards are quite robust.
Conclusion
So, why is vinted popular in Europe? It solved the three hardest problems of resale:
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Greed: By removing seller fees, they flooded the platform with inventory.
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Logistics: By using lockers, they made shipping cheap enough to justify buying a €3 shirt.
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Culture: They tapped into the European desire for sustainability without being preachy.
It is a platform designed for the everyday person, not just the professional reseller. However, if you are a reseller, you can exploit this volume. You just need the right tools to manage the flood of low-margin transactions without drowning in admin work. I rely on Closo to keep my head above water, ensuring that my inventory is synchronized across the casual world of Vinted and the professional world of eBay.
Start cross-listing with Closo today—because the future of resale isn't just about selling for more; it's about selling everywhere.
