Is It Safe to Buy On Poshmark During the Pandemic?
With virus numbers still increasing, many people do often wonder whether buying on the Poshmark (or any reselling) platform is indeed safe. There are so many new protocols, rules and regulations that have been put into place in all facets of life, and so it’s no wonder why people question whether buying items that are being resold is safe. As a Poshmark entrepreneur, it is partly your job to instil within potential buyers a sense of safety and security when it comes to your items.
While there is no magic formula to reassuring Poshmark buyers, you can emphasize the cleanliness of your items and if asked, point users to the process and protocol that Poshmark has put in place in response to COVID-19.
That said, surveys and studies have shown that even during the early peak of the pandemic, reselling numbers remained strong. In fact, some platforms—Poshmark among them—even experienced an increase in sales during 2020. So while some potential buyers may be a bit hesitant to buy clothing and accessories that are considered secondhand, the outlook for growing a successful Poshmark business even during a pandemic remains very strong.
Is It Safe to Buy On Poshmark During the Pandemic?
The “Washable” Factor
While it is so important to ensure that all of your resale items are cleaned and sanitized to an extent, most Poshmark buyers generally throw the purchases they receive into the wash first. In fact, they are more apt to do this with resold items than they are with brick and mortar purchased clothes. This actually is a very good thing and one that can help at least somewhat as far as the safety of the item in question.
Those who do tend to shop secondhand are especially conscious when it comes to caring for the clothes they buy. This could be why we didn’t see that much of a downturn in online secondhand buying during the first phase of the pandemic.
The Mail Factor
When a buyer purchases an item from your Poshmark closet, the shipping process then starts. Between packaging and mailing and then finally delivery, the clothing has been in transport for at least a couple of days. And while yes, there is still a lot we do not know about the virus, the fact that the item has not been touched for at least two days prior to the buyer receiving it is reassuring.
The Money Factor
Perhaps one of the main reasons why we saw platforms such as Poshmark do even better during the pandemic was because of the fact that buyers were able to find great deals. With people out of work and the economy experiencing a major slowdown, individuals were (and still are) consistently on the hunt for the absolute best deals they can find.
For those savvy poshers who understand what to offer, when to list and how to price their items, they did in many cases experience a growth in sales. If though, you offer an item for resale and try and list at what someone can get it for retail, odds are your Poshmark business is going to falter. Understanding that now more than ever shoppers are looking for great buys is key to establishing a successful Poshmark business.
The Protection Factor
It is not only about making buyers comfortable with purchasing from the Poshmark platform from a health and safety standpoint but also from a security standpoint as well. Sadly, during times of crisis, there are those who try and take advantage of the situation. Many platforms encounter a variety of scams. With Poshmark, because of the way in which the platform handles money/item exchanges, buyers are better protected than with some of the other reselling platforms out there.
Privacy is also a factor that Poshmark takes very seriously. To this end, while on occasion there could be the occasional glitch, by and large buyers can rest assured that the people at Poshmark are doing all that they can to prevent any dangerous or costly scams.
The reality is we don’t necessarily know what is going to happen as far as the pandemic is concerned. All we can do is listen to guidance, follow guidelines, and stay consistent in our behavior. When it comes to the safety of buying on Poshmark, many shoppers don’t seem to be deterred. Poshmark sellers are continuing to offer reasonably priced, stunning clothing and accessories and as much as they can, are doing so safely.
The community aspect of Poshmark has been a boon to the platform since the crisis began. Poshmark users being supportive and encouraging of one another is what helped many keep their spirits up. This is the truly great thing about Poshmark—when it comes right down to it, people do come together.
Rounding up
How do you feel about trading the pandemic? Do you feel safer as everything is online (apart from the shipping of course!) or do you still have reservations?
Take a read about what we think your Poshmark business will be like post-pandemic and let us know in the comments or over on our Instagram page your thoughts!
