Locally run fashion app Poshmark is the trendiest way to buy and sell lightly worn women’s clothing. This mobile marketplace features brands ranging from Gucci to Forever 21 to satisfy customers with a wide range of tastes.
“It is built upon a vibrant social network comprised of millions of women who use the app daily to sell items from their closets, shop the closets of other women across America, start businesses by opening virtual boutiques and connect around their love of fashion and each other,” Joanna Riedl, Head of Poshmark Public Relations, said.
When signing up, the user selects the particular brands and sizes of choice to better filter her selections. The user has to go through a fairly brief process to post an item to the Poshmark feed. The clothing owner has to snap a picture of the item, categorize it, add the price and wait for notifications from possible shopper. It is designed to make the experience at either end completely effortless.
Poshmark was founded by Manish Chandra and co-founded by Gautam Golwala, Chetan Pungaliya and Tracy Sun in December 2011. Chandra created Poshmark after establishing another fashion website, Kaboodle.
“Having built the first social shopping site Kaboodle, Manish realized that shopping for women is inherently a social activity and they constantly want to share new trends and get second opinions on outfits,” Riedl said. “He saw the need for a platform that tapped into a huge market, as fashion is a $350 billion industry each year in the U.S.”
Compared to competing mobile shopping tools like Vinted, eBay and Craigslist, Poshmark has gained popularity from Palo Alto High School students due to its simplicity and several unique features.
“This application is one of the most efficient ways to clean out my closet, and inexpensively find designer clothes for a more reasonable price”, senior Chloe Finley said. “I love this app because it gave me an alternative rather than just throwing out or giving away my clothes. Plus, Poshmark gives you the option to either redeem your money or have credit towards future purchases.”
Some of these features include Posh parties and showrooms. Posh parties are events put together by users to meet up and swap clothing and to become acquainted with other Poshmark consumers. The parties connect shoppers of similar interests and clothing styles. Showrooms are designed to categorize items based on popularity and trendiness, some of which include Pandora jewelry, Diane von Furstenberg dresses and fuchsia apparel.
“It is an easy way to find the newest, in-demand products to stay up to date on styles,” sophomore Gill Robins said. “It is a great way to save money while still looking cute at the same time.”
Sophomore Meredith Cummings was one of the many who used to sell her clothes via Instagram, and has recently made the switch to selling through Poshmark, to garner more publicity, a personalized selection and an effortlessly rapid revenue.
“The marketplace has changed many women’s lives across America,” Reidl said. “Some were able to quit their day jobs and start successful businesses on the app. Some have even made over $20,000 a month selling on the app.”
