Independent Online Resale Store on Depop Case Study

Active and sold listings on the Depop storefront

Starting in 2020, I built and managed an independent resale storefront on Depop selling secondhand and curated fashion items. What originally started as a hustle, became more of a creative endeavor. Beyond simply listing products for sale, I treated each listing as a design and research problem, asking how presentation, language, and pricing affect a buyer's decision to examine, click, and purchase. Over six years of continuous iteration, the store grew to 285+ listings and exceeded $10,000 in gross sales.

How do I present products in a way that communicates value and drives purchases within the constraints of an algorithm-driven platform?

I was the sole operator. I was responsible for every aspect of the storefront. This included: product sourcing, photography, listing, pricing, customer communication, logistics, and ongoing optimization. All research, decisions, and iteration were self-directed over six years, up to now.

1. Studied top-performing listings across the platform to identify patterns in photography style, description length, hashtag usage, and pricing. Building a foundational understanding of what high-converting listings had in common.

2. Iterated on one variable at a time. I changed backgrounds in photos, description format, hashtag density, and price points. I did this while tracking views versus sales over time to identify what users actually favored.

3. Developed a consistent photography approach based on which image formats correlated with higher views/likes. This included lighting conditions, angles, and laying products in a clean and concise matter.

After listing optimization: 99+ likes.

• Listings with natural lighting and multiple angles and photos received significantly more views than listings with single images and unfavorable lighting.

• Descriptions that answered common questions upfront such as measurement details, condition, and materials reduced DMs and increased purchase confidence. 

• Optimized listing titles with targeted keywords improved SEO and increased product visibility within Depop's platform.

• Offering bundle deals increased average order value.

• Response time to buyer DMs directly correlated with conversion. Faster replies led to more completed sales.

• Treated each listing as an individual experiment rather than a routine task. This allowed for continuous learning across a massive inventory.

• Prioritized consumer language in titles and descriptions. This kept the buyer's perspective central to every listing decision. 

• Built a consistent visual style across all listings to create a cohesive storefront that felt trustworthy and professional to browsing buyers.

Over six years of iteration, the storefront grew to 285+ active and sold listings and exceeded $10,000 in gross sales. Additionally, the process built a repeatable framework for understanding how presentation affects buyer perception.

ⓘ Platform: Depop - a mobile, algorithm-driven resale marketplace with a largely Gen Z user base.