S05 Episode 256 | Shilla Kim-Parker of Thrilling on the digitization of secondhand & supporting small business

<p><img src= "https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/99761/Ep256-Thrilling-libsyn.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="600" /></p> <p class="">In episode 256, Kestrel welcomes Shilla Kim-Parker, the co-founder and CEO of Thrilling, to the show. The first dedicated online marketplace for secondhand and vintage stores across the U.S., <a href="https://shopthrilling.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">Thrilling</a> has already helped digitize more than 600 stories across the country.</p> <p><strong>“We put a lot of thought into — how do we present vintage and secondhand, because I don’t want secondhand to be thought of as a lesser, marginalized shopping experience. The goal is to get everyone in the habit of shopping secondhand and vintage, and I really believe you can’t force people to like spinach — you have to make it delightful.” -Shilla</strong></p> <p class="">So, we’ve definitely touched on this in the past, but when it comes to the secondhand market — there is no doubt that the sector is going through a GROWTH SPURT. </p> <p class="">According to <a href= "https://www.thredup.com/resale/#resale-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ThredUp’s 2021 Resale Report</a>, the $36 billion secondhand market is projected to double in the next 5 years, reaching $77 billion, while the fast fashion market share is expected to stay relatively flat.</p> <p class="">As you may have seen, many brands are now building an in-house secondhand arm into their businesses, as everyone seems to be trying to find a way to capitalize on some of this explosive market.</p> <p class=""><strong>Is this helpful or is it just another way for bigger brands to make another buck off of us?</strong></p> <p class="">There are a lot of hands reaching in to try to grab a piece of this secondhand pie.</p> <p class="">This week’s guest isn’t solely looking at secondhand as a *profit opportunity* — as an advocate for small business, she’s very intentional about how secondhand is presented, because she doesn’t want it to be thought of as a lesser, marg