Dive Brief:
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OfferUp announced a partnership with Goodwill last week which allows the charity resale retailer to list items according to their regional location on the OfferUp platform. Customers shopping via the platform can pick up their purchase in-store or have it shipped to their home via Nationwide Shipping, according to an OfferUp blog post.
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Participating Goodwill locations will have a verified business badge on their profile page, where they can also add business information such as store hours, address, a custom "about us" page and receive in-app or Google Review ratings.
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More than 100 Goodwill stores in New York, New Jersey, San Francisco, San Mateo, metro Detroit and other cities are listing thrift items such as clothing, furniture and collectibles on OfferUp's marketplace, the company said in its statement.
Dive Insight:
The partnership is Goodwill’s latest move toward adapting its operations to the e-commerce era. The deal will allow Goodwill staffers to use OfferUp API and Upright Lab's Listing Tool to photograph and upload merchandise images via mobile, which can improve their flow of receiving and selling items, according to an OfferUp email to Retail Dive. When an item sells, store associates click a "Mark as Sold" button in the app. The inventory then immediately updates so employees can create financial reports in real time.
Goodwill aims to offer more convenience to shoppers with the move. According to an OfferUp spokesperson, users will be charged a standard 9.9% fee to cover shipping and handling across the continental U.S. However, each store has the option to offer shipping on items.
OfferUp works with individual stores rather than providing its service nationally because each store runs independently of the national brand. "Every store is looking to increase foot traffic, along with sales, and the leaders we’ve worked with manage multiple stores in heavily trafficked markets," an OfferUp spokesperson told Retail Dive. "We've seen the number of Goodwill stores selling online steadily increase, so as more markets see success, we expect to see more growth."
Earlier this year, the organization announced that Shopgoodwill.com would use Enthrupy’s authentication technology to take on knock-off designer goods.
