Through a partnership with resale platform Rebag, Walmart is adding tens of thousands of pre-owned luxury handbags, jewelry and watches to its marketplace, allowing users to buy, sell and trade these items.
Starting January 16, Rebag will make its entire catalog of approximately 27,000 items available at Walmart, including products from brands such as Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Chanel, Gucci, Christian Dior, Saint Laurent, Fendi, Prada, Bottega Veneta, and Goyard. Sell on .com. Walmart and Leabag executives spoke to Modern Retail. Rebag’s catalog ranges from small accessories to Birkin bags that cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Walmart already offered some used luxury goods through third-party sellers, but the partnership with Rebag will increase that selection tenfold, while also adding a focus on luxury resale to Walmart’s website. A new section has been opened. Rebag also worked with Walmart’s merchandising team to use internal search and sell-through data to curate an exclusive collection of 100 additional items specifically for Walmart shoppers.
“Fashion lovers may have had their eyes on a Saint Laurent bag that was released four or five years ago, but they may not have been able to find it,” said Michael Mosser, Walmart’s vice president of marketplaces. “I can’t do that,” he said in an interview with Modern Retail. “And now we can offer that as a destination for all of our customers when they come and shop at Walmart.”
Walmart’s goal is to add well-known and in-demand brands to its website that customers are looking for but may not be able to find at retailers. As a result, your site’s traffic and advertising revenue may increase. Walmart similarly expanded its selection in September through a partnership with sneaker marketplace StockX, adding high-demand shoes such as Nike’s Air Jordans to its platform.
This not only adds more luxury items, but also increases the number of used items on the market. Mosser said second-hand sales align with Walmart’s sustainability efforts, give customers access to brands they wouldn’t otherwise be able to buy, and bring fashion and collectibles enthusiasts to Walmart.com. He said it would attract people to Com. In August, the retailer launched Resol at Walmart to expand its used product selection across a variety of categories.
Walmart said third-party marketplace sales have increased more than 30% in each of the past five quarters due to efforts to introduce more categories and brands to customers. “Our ability to have endless aisles and offer a wide selection is exactly what we provide to our customers across our marketplace business,” Mosser said.
Walmart’s marketplace and digital products are seen as a way for the retailer to better compete with Amazon while growing in areas such as groceries that Amazon doesn’t yet dominate. Amazon has made several attempts in the luxury goods space over the years. The company launched a section for this category on its site in 2020, but it appeared to be struggling to gain support from big luxury brands, with counterfeit products a top concern for prospective sellers and brands.
Walmart reported that in the third quarter of 2024, 75% of its market share increase came from households earning $100,000 or more. Andrew Lipsman, an independent media analyst at Media, Ads + Commerce, said expanding luxury goods assortments not only attracts high-income shoppers, but also attracts valuable luxury advertisers to Walmart Connect. He said that by incorporating it into the advertising ecosystem of Walmart, it has the potential to contribute to improving Walmart’s profits. “As Walmart Connect makes significant inroads into streaming TV and other upper-funnel formats, the value for these advertisers will only increase.”
Elizabeth Lane, Rebag’s chief marketing officer, said the company had seen Walmart expand its assortment, including through a partnership with StockX, and saw an opportunity to reach a broader audience.
“This is a great way for us to really tap into this mass market and really bring luxury resale to a much wider audience than we’ve ever had before,” Lane said. “The key is increasing our reach and awareness.”
Rebag started as a website in 2014 and has since opened stores in New York, California, and Florida. The company also has a partnership that includes a retail presence in five Bloomingdale’s stores. Last year, the company launched a membership program called Rebag+, offering members a 5% discount on all products on the site, as well as benefits such as free shipping and free returns. In 2023, Rebag launched consignment sales as an additional sales method aimed at offering higher dividends.
In the past year or two, Rebag has become more focused on partnerships, Layne says. Last August, the company partnered with Bloomingdale’s to add more than 2,500 luxury items to the retailer’s website. Unlike the new Walmart partnership, Rebag also offered some products and promoted sales in some stores.
“We see luxury resale as a way to make the luxury market more accessible to consumers,” Lane said. “Walmart is a way to reach that wide range of people and introduce them to this luxury product.”
