Revolutionizing Retail: How Faircado Is Pioneering the Pre-Owned Goods Movement

While thrifting might feel like a trendy term in the age of savvy consumers, one Berlin-based startup has developed a tool that’s actually giving sustainable shopping a real push into the mainstream. Faircado’s browser extension shows pre-owned goods alongside products that you find in any typical online shop. Earlier this year, the company announced it has raised €3 million. As online retail grows ever more competitive, what makes Faircado stand out?

Navigating the World of Secondhand Shopping with Ease

Thrift shopping is great in theory, but the reality of it can leave a lot to be desired. Is that product really what you thought it was? And do you really want to scroll through hundreds of similar items to even have a hope of finding the product you actually want to buy? At Faircado, we want to be your go-to discovery layer, connecting consumers with pre-owned goods. We want the experience of finding a diamond in the dirty, dirty rough to be as easy as it could possibly be.

A Simple Extension That Transforms Your Browser

Similar in concept to the Google Chrome extension she has developed, Faircado creates a one-stop shop for shoppers who want their habits to become more sustainable. By offering pre-owned competitor products from more than 1,600 retailer sites that are supported, such as the more mainstream ones like Amazon, Zalando and Patagonia, simply searching for ‘new things’ will present you with loyal alternatives that are better for the planet and your purse. Search ‘new iPhone’ on Amazon and a list of pre-owned options will pop up for your consideration alongside the new ones.

Bridging the Gap with Technology

How AMAZON Plays a Role in the Pre-Owned Market

If you’re used to turning to Amazon for new purchases, Faircado mines its listings for greener secondhand alternatives, comparing the things you want with used, pre-loved versions you can buy on eBay. This kind of integration is a reminder of how technology can step in to mediate between the grabbing impulse and the greener desire.

Expanding Horizons: Faircado's Growth Trajectory

Currently in beta and focusing on Germany as its first market, the company plans to launch in the U.K. this year. In its first five months, it already has thousands of users – an impressive feat in the e-commerce world – with the average basket size standing at around €200. Its founders, Evoléna de Wilde d’Estmael and Ali Nezamolmaleki, previously met at fellow Y Combinator alumnus AirHelp.

A Vision for the Future

What began as an idea to make secondhand shopping more accessible has quickly grown into a driving tool for environmental change. Plans to build native mobile apps are underway, and the project is well on its way to becoming a go-to discovery layer for secondhand goods. Faircado is backed by the World Fund and other investors eager to accelerate decarbonisation through reducing the purchase of new products.

Paving the Way for Conscious Consumerism

Whether Faircado proves viable as a business proposition – at present, it is more concerned with expansion and increasing its user base than with making profits – is one matter, but its readiness to make second-hand shopping both practical and attractive sets a precedent for how e-commerce can become part of a green future.

Faircado vs. The Competition

When Faircado went live last May, it was not the first in the growing number of services offering alternatives to ecommerce; nor was it the largest: American-based Beni, a browser extension with the same idea, was there before them, as was Gently’s catalogue of secondhand clothing. But Faircado’s focus on Europe, and its broad focus on integrating secondhand across categories, does give it a different competitive edge.

About AMAZON

Amazon is one of the largest online retailers in the world. It sells countless products, in abundant choice to its consumers. It has become our notion of what online shopping should look like, and is, after enormous efforts and development, almost seamless in its functionality. However, as consumer awareness increases regarding the environmental cost of our behaviour, our shopping habits must change. Platforms such as Amazon are pivotal in consumer transition, and through partnering with Faircado and others, Amazon can lend its shopping-cart dynamism to the circular economy and to reduce waste.

In the end, Faircado’s commercial ascent as an eco-friendly shopping alternative demonstrates that the need for sustainable solutions is growing incessantly. As the startup keeps evolving in terms of its technological advancements and geographical expansion, it is setting an example of how secondhand shopping can become easier and more attractive by making all these benefits accessible at the click of a button. With the big bucks alongside the vision, Faircado’s products are steadily changing and refining our online shopping habits for good.