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I’ve been using Depop for 4/5 years now and it’s still my number one place to sell the excess kit I’ve accumulated. But I had to get some tips on how to sell on Depop so I could get the most out of the platform!
Years ago, or maybe not so long ago, I was a huge fan of eBay. However, as time has passed, I have not had the inclination to use the platform, as it is mostly desktop based and needs to add detailed descriptions and quality photos.
So when someone suggested I try Depop, I thought I’d give it a try. They also told me to try Mercari, but I didn’t like the feel or flow. So here are some basic tips based on what I’ve learned since joining…
First, what is Depop?
Depop is a fashion marketplace app where you can discover and buy unique items. They have a global community that buys, sells and connects to make fashion more inclusive, diverse and less wasteful.
How much do Depop and Paypal charge?
There is no charge to list your items, but you pay a fee of 10% of the total transaction (including shipping costs) to Depop when you sell. In the UK, PayPal also charges a transaction fee of 2.9% + £0.30.
If you are in the UK and have added Evri (formerly Hermes) shipping then this amount will also be deducted from your sale.
Depop recently launched Depop Payments, which means money is paid directly into your chosen bank account. You’re still charged the standard transaction fee of around 2.9% + £0.30, so I’m not entirely sure what the benefit of this is for sellers.
Treat your Depop profile like a real store
Now I have a routine where I take photos on a Saturday and upload everything on a Sunday. It is written in my profile that I add new articles on weekends.
I post a monthly schedule to share items that are coming soon along with more details on my policies. I’ve also added details from my blog and Instagram so people can see me and know that I’m 100% a real person.
Taking the best photos you can is also good advice. Take a look at this softbox lighting kit that you can get on Amazon.
It is identical to the one they sold on the Depop Supplies page. It’s perfect for helping you take great product photos, especially in low-light conditions (ie indoors).
Depop has made many updates to their desktop website, so you can not only shop through the website, but also list items and manage your store. This is very useful, especially if you have someone to help you with your shopping lists.
The desktop website is very useful for rearranging the order of items in your store and pushing sold items down as well. Check out my shop here!
These items are in high demand…
I have had Gymshark items sold within seconds of being added to the platform. Oh really. Lululemon and Sweaty Betty are also selling out pretty fast.
Trainers that are hardly used/not used and are clean have also worked well for me. I also sold a couple of 1kg bags/canisters of protein powder pretty quickly on the platform.
Depop has recently (and quietly) updated their policies, so there are now some things you can’t list on the site, including smartwatches. I found out the hard way when a listing was taken from me and I contacted them to find out why.
Save yourself a ton of direct messages
If you really want something to sell, be sure to take a picture of it. People want to see how the items fit on a human, I guess! I’ve used the video option a few times, it comes out as a stop motion.
Video is useful if 4 photos are not enough to show a particular product. Add as detailed a description as you can; When it is something current and practically new, I copy and paste the real description from the brand’s website.
Advice – You can add a maximum of 5 hashtags to a list, so choose wisely!
Please include information about the condition the item is in, if the tags are still on, size (although this is a property on its own), fit, and a few hashtags as I’m sure I read somewhere that you can Search for hashtags on Depop. .
I usually use the brand name, the type of training ie #running and a couple of other basics that I think people would use to search for the particular item.
a word of warning
I also always add that my items are from a pet free/smoke free home and all items ship tracked, usually shipped via Depop using Evri. I do have a caveat about shipping with Depop/Evri though; their default insurance is £20 so if they lose their parcel the max you get will be £20 and the customer will be refunded.
If you are shipping higher value items, please arrange the shipment yourself through Evri, where you can indicate the value for which you need insurance. Also, keep in mind that Evri has a list of things it doesn’t compensate you for, as it lists them as items not to be sent through their service.
Include postage and packaging in the total price
Your item will then appear as free shipping and make it easier for someone to decide to buy it as there are no additional costs. I must also remind you to take into account Depop’s fees (10%) as well as PayPal’s fees when choosing the price of your items.
If it’s something small that I probably would have given away, I often get no benefit at all, so don’t bother using Depop.
Don’t forget to think about how you will package your items, because that may be a cost to you, as well as the fact that you want your items to arrive safely.
I reuse the packaging from the things that were delivered to me in the first place or I keep a stock of mailing bags of different sizes. I use these large recycled* mailing bags for larger items like tote bags, coats, or boxed sneakers.
This set of postal bags of various sizes* is perfect for smaller items. Both are generally available on Amazon Prime, so orders early enough should arrive the next day!
And you know what I found out today? That Evri offers a student discount through My UNiDAYS. How the hell did I not know this before? Do you know how much money she could have saved when she had a student discount?
I choose to ship with Evri because the price is reasonable without the discount and I can drop off packages locally. I also ship 99.9% of items with a signature required to protect against any dubious types.
If you ship with Evri through Depop, they will automatically generate your shipping label, saving you a few minutes on administration. It’s a bit cheaper to ship directly through Evri, and as mentioned above, you have a lot more control over shipping.
A personal touch goes a long way
I always include a packing slip in my packages with a little thank you message. I think it’s very helpful and lets the person who bought from you know that you appreciate the sale.
I also had some Vistaprint credit to use, so I made a keep it simple Elle stamp and some stickers for extra special sales!
As I try to be more mindful and mindful of my consumption, I shared some of the best hacks for an ethical and sustainable fitness routine in a blog post.
Does anyone else have tips for selling on Depop? Or let me know your profile name in the comments and I’ll follow up…
elle
