The RealReal enhances consignment service model

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Mar 29, 2023

Online luxury resale platform The RealReal has enhanced its consignment service model to create a more elevated experience for its customers. 

Renamed 'RealService', the service now offers a dedicated consignor concierge team to support sellers during every step in the consignment process. While assigned luxury managers help sellers know what, when and how to sell, the new consignor concierge team will be the designated point-of-contact who will support and assist customers with any questions regarding the process.

Likewise, The RealReal has introduced new product features including the resale insights center, which helps consignors understand how The RealReal prices each item, and the handbag pricing estimator, which allows customers to get an estimate of what their handbag is worth prior to consigning.

“We have exceptionally high standards when it comes to service however in recent years, as we continued to grow rapidly year-over-year, we faced some challenges when it came to delivering this level of service that our customers expect from us,” said Rati Sahi Levesque, The RealReal’s president and chief operating officer. 

“By prioritizing, investing in and providing a dedicated concierge team to each and every consignor, we can continue to provide the luxury service that we sought out to deliver. Between their designated team and access to as much rich data and expertise as we can, we’re not only ensuring that confidence that consignors need to sell with us, but we’re giving them the education and opportunity to make even more informed shopping decisions, in both the primary and secondary markets. We’re proud of these recent enhancements and are confident they will make buying and selling with TRR even more seamless.”

Earlier this year, the New York-based company launched a cost reduction plan that terminated approximately 230 employees, representing approximately 7% of its workforce. 

As part of the plan, intended to reduce operating expenses, the luxury reseller also closed two flagship stores in San Francisco, California and Chicago, Illinois, two neighborhood stores in Atlanta, Georgia and Austin, Texas, and two luxury consignment offices in Miami, Florida and Washington, D.C.

Still, The Real Real plans to double-down in 2023 on its efforts to enhance the luxury consignment experience it offers to its millions of members, and has been working diligently to create a more robust, elevated and luxurious experience. The platform currently boosts more than 31 million members.