High-volume online flea market

Problem

People own more stuff than they are able to use, and recycling has become very popular. For example, children’s clothes can be used only for short periods of time before the child outgrows them. However, people would also like to recycle the products they have used. Selling products on via conventional channels is rarely an efficient way to make some of the money back, taking into account the effort it requires.

Solution: high-volume online flea market

Netflea.com allows users to sell high volumes of used goods. The seller posts a description and photographs of the products and sets the prices. All lots are approved by the website operator before they can go up for sale. Each lot can be advertised for a maximum of three months, and the price is reduced gradually. If a product remains unsold, the customer can choose whether to donate it to charity or take it back for a fee. Purchased products have a 14-day return period.

Revenue logic and benefits to Netflea.com

The company charges €2,90 for each sold product to cover storage and handling costs. The operating model is optimised so that customers can send a large number of products for sale at the same time. Because the products are photographed and priced by the customers, there are fewer manual tasks for the company to do before the products can go on sale. The operation is easily scalable, since the stock does not require any operating capital.

Benefits to customers

Sellers are able to send large amounts for sale in one go and the online store offers better reach than regular flea markets. For buyers, the website offers a better selection than local flea markets. The prices are affordable, as products are generally priced to ensure a quick sale.