Want to sell successfully on Poshmark? If you’re not familiar with Poshmark, it’s an online social marketplace where members can buy and sell items (mostly used).
On the platform, users can create a Poshmark “closet” and list their unwanted belongings as a side hustle. Most of the items listed fall into the women’s fashion category, but you’ll also find men’s, kids’, home, tech, pets, and beauty products.
$10 off your first purchase
If you’re a seller, it’s a great way to make a little extra cash. If you’re a buyer, it’s a great way to save money. And if you’re any kind of buyer, it’s a great way to live a little more sustainably. Reducing waste in the world is a good thing! In this article, we’ll go over how to get started and some expert tips from successful Poshmark sellers.
What is Poshmark?
These days, when you search for a specific product on Google, you can find options for buying it from standard retailers like Nordstrom, Macy's, and Walmart, as well as second-hand and resale marketplaces like Poshmark, Mercari, and eBay.
While those who want to buy new may find the experience to be full of irrelevant options, those who enjoy buying gently used items can save big money. Plus, they can live more sustainably. And bonus: Many Poshmark sellers offer brand-new items. Sellers operate a “boutique” marketplace, where everything for sale is brand-new, unused, with original tags attached, and often for significantly less than the original price.
In addition to new items, other requirements for listing as a “boutique” include that the item must have been purchased by the seller at wholesale or from a distributor and sold to the public for the first time on Poshmark. This means that items purchased at a mall, outlet, or retailer are not included.
So whether you're looking to buy or sell, Poshmark can provide you with a discount.
Poshmark currently has 7 million sellers and 70 million users. Both buyers and sellers interact on the platform by sharing, liking, and commenting. Poshmark has built a strong community beyond its marketplace.
How to set up a Poshmark store
The first thing you need to do to create a Poshmark shop, or “Closet,” as Poshmark calls it, is to start an account. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Email address
- An image or avatar to use as your profile picture
- Background or header image for your store
- Payment method (PayPal, credit or debit card available)
Once your account is set up, it’s time to sell! Take several photos of your item, including any imperfections, for clarity. When listing your item on the Poshmark site on desktop or the app on mobile, tap “Sell on Poshmark” (top right on desktop or bottom center on mobile). From there, you’ll need to fill out the following fields for the item you’re selling in that listing:
- title
- explanation
- category
- quantity
- size
- Whether it's a new product with tags or not
- brand
- color
- Style tags (which are surprisingly important, as you can read below)
- Original price
- Listing price
When you add a photo, you can crop, zoom, resize, and even apply filters (mobile only) right in the app to make your product shine!
Items for sale in your Poshmark store
As I write this, I have decided to create a Poshmark store. While looking through my closet for items to sell, I have found some truly valuable items. There is no point in wasting shoppers’ time and showing them actual trash. You have to find items that are worth someone’s money, and you also have to factor in the flat rate of $7.67 for 1-3 day Priority Mail shipping (some mail) via USPS.
Think about: handbags you no longer need, clothes your kids have outgrown, things you’ve worn a few times but don’t want to keep, and gifts people have given you that you’ll never use. (Sorry, gift-givers!)
If there are too many defects or the item appears significantly worn, it is likely not worth as much as it once was, so it may be a good idea to drop it off at your local Salvation Army.
Another important thing to consider is to check out what brands and product types are already trending on Poshmark. The platform thrives on search. With over 4 million sellers, you’ll want to list items that are already being searched for to get discovered. You can find this in your Poshmark feed under “Trending Brands” or “Trending Today.” Knowing what your audience is already selling can help you narrow down what products are right for this market.
According to Poshwatch, a platform that helps sellers improve their Poshmark listings, the most popular brands on the platform are:
- Louis Vuitton
- Chanel
- Free people
- Gucci
- lululemon athletic
- coach
- Nike
- Kate Spade
- Adidas
Follow Poshmark Seller Tips
We met with Poshmark seller Heather Rubacky, aka @heatherunfolded. She has over 51,000 followers and over 500 listings. The Chicago-area “posher” (as Poshmark calls its sellers) has her own day job and started her Poshmark account in late 2018.
“I thought about trying reselling for a while, but I was hesitant because I’d never done anything like it before,” explains the mother of two. Not a huge social media user and not exactly a fashionista by her own definition, Lubakki decided to give it a try. She started by selling things her kids no longer wore, and slowly she and her daughter started secondhand shopping to find things to sell for a profit.
We picked Rubacky's brain to get some impactful tips to help you thrive in your Poshmark business…
1. Overshare
Rubacky’s top tip is to “share your entire closet.” Sharing your listings will make them more visible to other Poshmark members and shoppers beyond the Poshmark ecosystem. “Every time a listing is shared, it moves to the top of all listings in that category and search results,” Rubacky added. “Sharing is essentially the foundation of the platform.” You can also gain more followers from other Poshmark members. The more followers you have, the more visible your listings will be.
“You can share your list on other social media platforms,” Rubacky added. This includes Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr.
2. Take very clear pictures
Make sure your photos are top-notch. In addition to framing your product well and considering lighting, Rubacky suggests being transparent and thorough with your listing. “Include photos of any imperfections that may be present in the product. Be clear and detailed when writing your listing description. Include all the information,” she says. You may also want to mention whether your home is smoke-free or pet-free. Rubacky also includes fabric content, care instructions, and sometimes measurements.
Interested buyers can comment on your posts to ask questions, but providing more information up front will make the sale easier in the long run.
3. Be transparent
Lubakki warns that listings should be as specific and honest as possible. “One thing I’ve learned is to thoroughly inspect every item you sell. Check all the zippers, buttons, seams, pockets,” she says. “If an item has an undisclosed defect, the buyer may open a case and return the item, which will ruin the sale and your profits.”
4. Pay attention to the price
Lubakki suggests being strategic about your pricing. “Poshmark takes a percentage of every sale, and sometimes people make really low — almost aggressive — offers,” she explains. “Keep that in mind when you’re setting your selling price.”
Rubacky points out that people can try to set their own prices by bidding on your items. “You have the option to accept, decline, or reject the offer,” she says. Don’t worry if you decline the offer; it doesn’t seem to affect your account within the Poshmark algorithm.
5. Pay attention to your style tags
When you create a new listing, you can add three style tags that you can create yourself. “These tags allow you to add keywords to your listing,” Rubacky points out. These tags (similar to hashtags on social media) improve search results. “Think about what people might search for that describes what you’re selling.”
6. Use all your tools
“Poshmark has a lot of selling tools that can help you, so take advantage of them,” Rubacky advises. Poshmark’s platform gives sellers access to sales reports, inventory reports, and closet insights.
Rubaki says you can even create personalized bundles for people who like the clothes in their closets and “style” them, recommending products as if you were a personal shopper or stylist.
Among other features of Poshmark, you can offer shipping discounts, open a boutique or sell on a wholesale marketplace, and even participate in contests or other incentives like virtual parties to sell. All of these options offer a lot of unique ways to market your products.
7. Have fun playing
Rubaki reminds us that selling platforms take time and diligence. And a little extra storage space! “But the results are worth the investment,” she says. “Be creative, make it your own, own it! You’ll love it!”
Is Poshmark Right for Everyone?
In short, no. From what Rubacky told us and my brief experience as a Poshmark seller, Poshmark is great for clothing, especially designer fashion. If you want to sell large furniture that can’t be shipped, Facebook Marketplace is the best route. If you want to sell electronics, eBay seems to be where buyers are going.
If you are looking for a shopping community and are willing to share, like, and post regularly, Poshmark is for you. If you are committed to growing your following on the platform, you can become a very successful seller. However, like any small business that essentially operates on Poshmark, you will need to invest time into your store to see any meaningful revenue.
The post How to Sell on Poshmark originally appeared on RetailMeNot's The Real Deal.
