The Real Real Reviewed: Here’s My Conclusion
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The fashion industry has had a troublesome footprint for decades.
But just recently, the majority of people realized potential consequences if this trend persists.
Fortunately, many new platforms and business models have emerged in the past few years that may positively contribute to the cause.
One of these models is The Real Real – an online and retail marketplace that sells consigned items.
This innovative idea based on a ‘circular economy’ is beneficial in more ways than one.
In The Real Real Review, we’ll focus on the company’s background and see why it makes such a positive impact.
There’s also a brief The Real Real consignment review.
The Real Real Review – Background and History
Julie Wainwright founded The Real Real in 2011 in her home.
Before that, she was an eminent figure in the world of branding and management.
However, before creating The Real Real, she was the CEO of Pets.com.
This tarnished her reputation as that company was one of the public companies with the shortest lifespans in history.
But after several years she managed to combine her previous knowledge and a new idea.
She started The Real Real from her kitchen table.
Her idea was to make a consignment business and remodel the resale business.
She started visiting cosigners at their houses and had her first shipping a few months later.
Just four years later, Forbes published The Real Real Review and estimated that the startup was worth over $300 million.
By 2018 the company raised almost the same amount through venture capital funds.
Today, The Real Real sells items for everybody – women, men, and children of all styles and interests.
Their consigned items span from clothing and accessories to jewelry and home décor.
One of the key aspects of the company is reliability since all items need to pass the authenticity check.
Today the company has millions of consignors and customers, three brick-and-mortar stores, and nine consignment offices.
It employs over a thousand people in various roles, with over 100 being experts involved in the authentication process.
The Process of The Real Real Consignment: Review
Wainwright signed her first consignment deals working from her home.
At that time, she probably didn’t imagine her company growing so much so quickly.
Nevertheless, the consignment process stayed more or less the same.
If you’re unsure how it works, let’s explain it a bit.
Here’s a short The Real Real consignment review.
First up, you need to have an item that you want to sell.
It can be a watch, a piece of fine art, home goods, clothes, whatever.
Then, you get in touch with The Real Real consignment and settle for a consignment deal.
What Does This Mean?
You send your item to The Real Real.
You sign that you’re still an owner of that piece, but you transfer it’s to The Real Real’s property.
As long as the item stays at The Real Real, it’s still yours.
When The Real Real receives the item, it goes through a detailed process of evaluation.
If the piece is authentic, you get a confirmation via an email along with its selling price.
That’s when your consignment starts.
The Real Real will put the item on the site, and you can check its status via the mobile app.
Also, the item can be on display in some of The Real Real’s retail stores.
Once you sell the item, the money transfers to your account sans the commission.
The commission rate depends on various factors.
One of them can be the individual price of the product or even your net sales during a single commission window.
Over the years, this reliable system appealed to millions of customers around the country.
It’s particularly attractive to those who value item sustainability and environmental benefits.
If you’re one of them, you might want to try out The Real Real sooner rather than later.
How Does The Real Real Fit Into Sustainable Fashion?
In a way, sustainability plays a part in all consignment items.
The main point of consigning is selling a valuable item to someone who needs it.
They call this the ‘recycling’ of items.
That means fewer carbon emissions due to production, less cheap labor, and cruelty and a positive outlook for the future.
So The Real Real promotes sustainability with most of its work.
The Real Real’s entire philosophy lies in the promotion of ‘circular luxurious goods’ where items stay in this cycle for a long time.
However, it places sustainable fashion right in the spotlight.
Providing Sustainability with The Real Real Consignment – Review of Examples
In 2017, the company signed a sustainability partnership with Stella McCartney, a chic and luxurious brand.
That meant that every time you consign a piece of clothing from this brand, you get $100 credit at Stella McCartney’s store.
That was just the first step.
In 2019, the company started a partnership similar to the one above with the famous brand Burberry.
Only this time, when you cosign a Burberry item, you receive a personal styling session at any Burberry store.
Recently, The Real Real took part in the Carbon Neutral Challenge and announced its goal to become carbon neutral by 2021.
That means that The Real Real will soon stop emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Additionally, the company developed a custom sustainability calculator.
This tool allows it to measure water usage, harmful gases, and energy output form the foundation of the company up until now.
As of today, the consignment saved up 553 million liters of water and had 12,200m3 of carbon offset.
Finally, The Real Real is a part of the UN Climate Change movement.
The company joined a charter that focuses on reducing the harmful effect of fashion on nature.
Currently, it’s the only resale company that joined the cause.
Who Can Find The Real Real Model Useful?
There are several reasons for consigning.
First, you can earn some money by selling surplus things.
You declutter your closet or storage for some money in return.
In a way, you can turn this into an exciting hobby, as long as you can recognize the real deal from counterfeits.
There are many examples of people making a living using The Real Real model.
Moreover, if you shop at The Real Real, you’re guaranteed high-quality and verified things.
Thanks to the delicate verification process, you can be sure that all the items you buy are legitimate goods.
Of course, the primary reason lies in your contribution to the environmental cause.
The official The Real Real Review on the company website states that 56% of consignors state this as a vital part, the ability to extend their item’s lifespan by keeping it in a circular motion.
That’s especially important among the younger generation, aged between 18-35.
Almost one-third of the customers use The Real Real to replace the cheap and short-lived ‘fast fashion.’
As a shopper, you also benefit the sustainability cause.
And if you’ve been wearing a piece of clothes for a short time, you can easily consign it again with The Real Real and get a chunk of your money back.
Long story short, The Real Real is beneficial for various reasons.
You can sell the stuff that you don’t need, and you’re contributing a noble cause.
On top of that, you can build your very own chic style away from established, fast-paced fashion trends.
Great Idea with Great Realization
As you may notice from The Real Real review above, this is one admirable company.
The luxury consignment finally has a good platform available to millions of users.
That’s a big step forward in terms of setting new norms for fighting harmful production and unethical fashion.
If you want to enter the cycle of sustainable goods, you should try this out.
The process is fairly simple, secure, and trustworthy.
So look around you for some luxurious goods that you may consign.
When it comes to sustainability, The Real Real may be the real deal.
Now It's Your Turn
Now I’d like to hear from you:
What your thoughts on The Real Real?
Do you think you will try to use The Real Real to sell your used clothes?
Or maybe you'll stick to something else like thredUp.
Either way, leave me a quick comment below to let me know.