As the last century was winding down, the notion of buying and selling used items on the internet was just beginning to take hold, with the introduction of both eBay and Craigslist in 1995.

By today’s standards, however, recommerce was a byzantine process. To list an item, sellers had to take photos on digital cameras, then transfer the photos to their computers via SD cards or USB; to buy something, purchasers would have to both park themselves at a computer and be somewhere with Wi-Fi, perhaps at one of those Internet cafés that started popping up in the mid-’90s.

With a new century, however, came swift and dramatic improvements to mobile and e-commerce technology that would transform the resale market.

The “unbundling” of eBay

“Online resale is happening for a while before other companies start to take pieces of eBay and pieces of Craigslist,” Jake Disraeli, co-founder and CEO of Treet, which works with retail brands to launch resale programs, told Retail Brew. “It’s like the unbundling of eBay.”

Disraeli noted that it wasn’t just resale that in the early aughts started to break off pieces of what had worked for eBay and Craigslist. Having seen categories that had performed well on Craigslist, he noted, StubHub launched in 2000 and Airbnb in 2007.

When it comes to resale, it was apparel and accessories marketplaces that were the first to get their footing.

Keep reading here.—AAN

A discount furniture outlet and a direct-to-consumer brand are both making moves to get their financial houses in order.

At Home filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a Delaware court last week, entering an agreement to eliminate nearly $2 billion in debt and receive a fresh infusion of capital to the tune of $200 million aimed at supporting the company through its restructuring process.

Reports of a possible bankruptcy date back to April, when the Trump administration’s announcement of steep tariffs on Chinese goods presented a threat to the struggling furniture chain.

Keep reading here.—AV

A family business is a rare sight in today’s fashion landscape full of megaconglomerates, but clothing brand Faherty has made a point over the last 12 years to stay true to its roots. It has helped the company, led by Alex Faherty (CEO), his twin brother Mike Faherty (creative director), and Alex’s wife, Kerry Docherty (chief impact officer), maintain profitability since 2020.

After its first year in business, Faherty embarked on its first wholesale partnership in 2014 with Nordstrom to expand beyond swimwear and to deliver a full apparel collection of laid-back beach-inspired styles.

Not too shabby for the trio that started with a collection of bathing suits they sold out of a mobile store as they drove across the country.

Keep reading here on Revenue Brew.—LI