Recommerce for the holidays

The resale economy is no longer a niche. As the 2025 Christmas shopping season approaches, sales of used, refurbished or surplus goods are influencing how retailers attract consumers and clear excess stock.

Salesforce predicts that U.S. resale transactions — peer-to-peer, marketplaces, other channels — will account for $64 billion in holiday sales this year. Fashion sales alone could exceed $26 billion by 2025.

Recommerce is quickly becoming a profitable sales channel as well as a discount strategy that prevents brand erosion.

Almost every survey this year points to an increase in sales. Deloitte reported that approximately 150 US fashion brands now offer their own resale programs, an increase of more than 300% from 2021.

Tariffs, inflation and changing consumer values ​​are all pushing shoppers toward used goods.

Lululemon Like New is the company’s dedicated resale site.

Consumer in resale

However, a resale dealer is not just a bargain hunter.

The new appeal of recommerce could come from taste, value and approach. Consumers want products that feel different and attainable, and if those products happen to be cheaper than first-sale items, so much the better.

Consider Pinterest’s Fall 2025 Trends Report, which came out in August. The platform saw a 550% increase in searches for “dream thrift finds” and more than a 1,000% increase in searches related to “historic fall aesthetics.”

This apparent combination of thrift and taste may explain why even relatively expensive brands like Lululemon, Madewell, and Nike sell their own used, refurbished, or surplus products at deep discounts.

Strategic resale

For e-commerce operators, repeat business is not just an income opportunity. It is a strategic pricing tool.

Instead of relying on across-the-board markdowns that dilute brand value, retailers can move open-box returns, refurbished goods, and old or seasonal inventory into the “pre-owned” or “as-new” category.

This approach reframes discounting as value-driven and appeals to new customer segments, particularly Generation Z and Millennials, who associate frugality with intelligence and authenticity.

Holiday foreclosure

The upcoming holiday shopping season is a great time to test recommerce.

New inventory. Re-trading can start with excess and slow-moving products, not just used items. Instead of discounts, put products in the “as new” category, which marks the savings as smart and value-based.

Marketers can also A/B test results. Offer the same SKU twice – one discounted, one recommerce – and compare performance. Many stores find that the “as new” designation preserves value while attracting price-conscious buyers.

Returned. Don’t forget about returned and refurbished items. They often sit idle during the holidays. Try creating a dedicated section for open boxes or lightly used items that meet resale standards.

Early returns from Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday can become new deals within days. Create a fast receipt process: review, re-mark and re-list within 72 hours. Every extra day in storage is a lost chance to capture demand.

After Christmas. Present post-holiday campaigns like “smart finds” or “returned favorites.” Turn liquidation into a recommerce story. This approach translates revenue into marketing and signals that the retailer values ​​reuse and efficiency.

Recommerce Tech

With planning and organization, a sales funnel is an option for almost any e-commerce website.

However, a few apps and add-ons make selling relatively easy.

  • Archive and Trove integrate with Shopify and other resale logistics platforms.
  • Loop Returns and ReturnLogic automatically route eligible returns to sales channels.
  • B-Stock provides liquidation options for bulk or unsaleable items.

Separately tracking resale margins in Google Analytics or eCommerce dashboards can quantify whether recommerce is cannibalizing or supplementing sales.

Holiday testing

Recommerce is increasingly contributing to US retail growth. For traders, it’s a margin and retention strategy that redefines how inventory moves through the trade.

Testing repeat business during the 2025 holiday shopping season allows retailers to measure sales without committing to a full-scale effort. If it works well, the channel can become permanent.

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