Fashion platform Musinsa's used fashion transaction service "Musinsa Used," launched last month, is gaining traction in the market as tens of thousands of sellers flocked to it right after its debut. This is seen as driven by wardrobe-cleaning demand during the seasonal changeover and the appeal of a "pickup-style fulfillment" model that differs from existing used transactions.
According to Musinsa on the 15th, Musinsa Used, launched on the 26th last month, recorded 10,000 intake applicants and a cumulative intake of about 60,000 items in the two weeks right after launch.
Musinsa Used provides sellers with a free pickup-only "Used Bag," and Musinsa handles everything from collecting, washing, photographing, to shipping the clothing customers put inside. A Musinsa official said, "Demand for the Used Bag is so hot that applications close in half a day," and added, "We are doing our best to process requests in order."
During the beta (preliminary) operation period, Musinsa introduced a mixed fee structure of "flat fee + percentage." This is rare among domestic used fashion platforms and is analyzed as a strategy aimed at maximizing seller revenue while securing profitability through economies of scale.
Also, while existing services such as Karrot Market and Bungaejangter use a C2C (consumer-to-consumer transaction) model, Musinsa chose a "C2B2C (consumer-corporations-consumer)" structure. An industry official said, "A key differentiator is that it handles the entire process from delivery, logistics, to merchandising while keeping fees low."
High inflation and an economic slowdown are behind the spread of fashion recommerce. Coupled with the MZ generation's "digging" consumption tendencies, used fashion has become a culture that goes beyond simple thrift. Major retailers such as Lotte and Hyundai Department Store are also ramping up clothing pickup, sales, and settlement services in collaboration with resale platforms.
Some worry that the expansion of used transactions could cannibalize demand for new products, but there are also projections that settlement funds and points will lead to new purchases, creating a "lock-in" effect.
Global corporations are moving quickly as well. Naver acquired the used fashion transaction platforms Poshmark in the United States and Wallapop in Spain, respectively. Coupang has entered the luxury resale market, marking resale as a next-generation growth engine. Global Market Insights (GMI) projected that the used fashion market size in the Asia-Pacific region will grow more than threefold from 75 trillion won in 2024 to 228 trillion won in 2034.