Without the space constraints of a physical store, online marketplaces like Depop give sellers the freedom to offer an expansive selection of items. However, this may easily become a disadvantage because selling a wide array without a focus or strategy won’t make your shop stand out..
First, determine and establish your Depop shop’s distinct style. Second – which is what this article will deep dive into — learn to take advantage of the seasons while staying faithful to your style. Whether it’s spring, summer, autumn, or winter, each season presents an opportunity to capture demand for specific items and generate as many sales as you can from in-season listings.
Here are ideas to get you started:
- Create a guide for each season. This can be as straightforward (e.g., bullet points or a simple diagram) or as visual (e.g., mood board) as you like. Identify the clothes, shoes, and accessories appropriate for every season.
Take into consideration factors like clothing styles, materials or fabrics, and even colors that are popular or associated with each of the seasons.
- Map out a seller’s calendar. Though this is ideally done before the incoming year, it’s fine to begin anytime. This is the calendar that you will use to plan your activities as a seller. Note the season durations and mark the holidays and popular events in the US.
Sporting events and lifestyle happenings may create a demand for a certain look and types of clothes that can clue you in on the items you should be selling.
Do your research. Fashion trends come and go, and there are many ways to keep yourself updated. Get clues about a brewing trend from celebrities, fashion sites, and social media, and source for relevant items before it becomes a full-blown trend. If the trend completely departs from your shop’s aesthetics, you don’t have to push it. Stick with season-appropriate items that bear your shop’s signature style.
Plan and source in advance. In your seller’s calendar, allocate time for planning, sourcing, curating, and preparing your items for listing on Depop at least a month before the start of the incoming season. Establishing a schedule and a system of doing things not only helps you come out with visually pleasing and saleable in-season listings but also introduces efficiency into your shop operations.
Promote your drops. Depending on your strategy, you can do one big drop or mini drops at the start and in the middle of the season. What’s important is to create buzz before the release of your in-season listings. Try creating teaser layouts with some of the hottest items from your collection and share them on your social media accounts.
After the launch, do another round of promotion using the Shop Share feature. Simply link your Depop shop with your Instagram account and pick the available items you would like to highlight.
When releasing your drops and promotions, make sure to time them strategically. Think weekends, paydays, lunch breaks, and the hours after school and office when your potential buyers most likely have the money and the time to browse your in-season listings.
Maximizing your sales every season
If you could not properly plan and source your listings for the current season, there are other ways to make and save money.
First, use the time to source off-season items. Summertime is an excellent opportunity to buy thick jackets and other low-priced winter-appropriate clothes from estate sales, flea markets, or other places where you’d usually source your inventory. On the other hand, cold months are great for sourcing sundresses and springtime accessories. Hold on to these finds and list them at the right season for bigger profits.
Second, consider giving discounts or free nationwide shipping. Factor in the discount when pricing your Depop in-season listings so you don’t lose or break even. This is an excellent way to encourage buyers to buy more than one item from your shop and to make repeat purchases in the future.
Third, give small seasonal freebies. Another way to entice repeat purchases is to tuck in an inexpensive, in-season present in every package you send out . It can be something as simple as a candy cane in December, a pack of jelly beans in the summer, or some small dried flowers for autumn. If possible, buy these in bulk to save on costs.
As an online marketplace seller, increasing your sales is the ultimate goal, and to do this, you have to make sure that your in-season listings are visible to as many online shoppers as possible. OneShop can help you easily cross-list from Depop to other marketplaces by allowing you to import your existing listings and then cross-list them to other marketplaces with minimal effort.
Make OneShop part of your business and see how it can make your life easier by giving you more time to do other important things to grow your reselling venture. Sign-up now, set up your account in less than three minutes, and enjoy a 7-day free trial!