Luxury consignment retailer The RealReal released the midyear 2018 version of its biannual “State of Luxury Retail” report this morning, which reveals the top brands and fashion items women and men are buying and selling on the site.
While fine jewelry and watches are a growing category for the secondhand seller, top searches among women shoppers are still in the apparel and handbag categories—while men’s top searches and purchases include watches (more on that in a minute).
For the first time ever, Gucci bumped Chanel and Louis Vuitton from the top spots in terms of searches and purchases on the site. The red-hot brand, led by artsy and charismatic designer Alessandro Michele, grew 62 percent among all age groups in the first half of the year, and the brand is growing in popularity 48 percent faster among millennials compared to other demographics.
That said, Hermès is the fastest-growing brand overall on the site among millennials. The iconic French brand grew 71 percent among shoppers aged 18–34 in the first half of 2018.
Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Christian Louboutin rounded out the top five bought and searched-for brands. And two lesser-known contemporary brands, Ulla Johnson and Golden Goose, saw big gains: 15 percent and 33 percent, respectively.
Brands that experienced a decline on the site compared to the previous six months included Tory Burch (down 34 percent), Vetements (down 22 percent), and Johanna Ortiz (down 27 percent).
Logos are back in a big way with young fashion consumers, as evidenced by sales on The RealReal of logo-laden bags and accessories.
Following the rerelease of the classic Dior Saddle Bag earlier this year by the designer brand, searches for Dior saddle bags (most styles bearing obvious logos) rose by 89 percent. Logo accessories by Gucci, Fendi, and Louis Vuitton also saw big sales and search gains.
And the departure of beloved designer Phoebe Philo at Céline led to an uptick in searches for pieces she’d designed for the brand.
The top four brands bought by men on the site in 2018 have been Rolex, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, and Hermès (in that order). Men’s brands that saw serious gains include Gucci, Amiri, and Balenciaga; and those that saw notable declines include Vetements, Balmain, and Bottega Veneta.
Among the searches that saw a significant bump in the first half of 2018 were “Hawaiian style”—up 84 percent—and “fanny pack,” which experienced a head-scratching 614 percent uptick in popularity.
Top: Accessories from The RealReal (photos courtesy of The RealReal)
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