TikTok Shop, the social commerce marketplace of TikTok, is launching a luxury second-hand category in the United Kingdom. This business already exists in TikTok Shop U.S. for over six months… although they have very serious problems there.
The new category allows customers from the United Kingdom to buy high-end second-hand clothing, designer bags, and other accessories, all without leaving the TikTok app. Currently, only five British brands are available: Sellier, Luxe Collective, Sign of the Times, HardlyEverWornIt, and Break Archive.
Since the launch of TikTok Shop in 2022, the platform has sold products worth $1 billion or more. However, despite its success, some argue that TikTok Shop is ruining the short video sharing app, claiming that counterfeits and low-quality products are flooding the market.
Counterfeits are the biggest risk when buying second-hand luxury items online, and even the biggest e-commerce giants face authenticity issues.
Like all resale markets, TikTok Shop has an anti-counterfeiting policy that guarantees a full refund if it is proven that a seller has sold a counterfeit product. Bloomberg has recently reported that the company is in talks with LVMH to help combat counterfeiting.
All second-hand brands on TikTok Shop U.S. must have third-party authentication certificates. To do this, TikTok partnered with authentication services Entrupy and Real Authentication to ensure that the platform’s designer bags are authentic.
On the other hand, a spokesperson for TikTok told TechCrunch that the five British brands have their own authentication process. They have not said when they will start accepting other second-hand brands.
The launch of the second-hand luxury category of TikTok Shop is a strategic move to take advantage of the growing market for second-hand luxury items.
