The Bay partnering with baby-gear reselling firm

Retailer has been offering second-hand items online in certain item categories

Canada’s oldest retailer is expanding its resale footprint. That’s right — resale.

The Bay announced Monday a partnership with Canadian startup Rebelstork, a marketplace for used, open-box and overstocked baby and children’s gear.

Toronto-based entrepreneur Emily Hosie started Rebelstork in 2019 to make it easier for parents to resell and buy baby gear online.

The company takes possession of items such as strollers and car seats and checks them for safety before reselling them; it works on a consignment basis, meaning the seller gets paid when the item gets sold, Hosie explained.

Laura Janney, chief merchant for the Bay, said reselling is an important part of the Bay’s business that will only continue to grow.

On the retailer’s new online marketplace, which launched in early 2021 and hosts thirdparty sellers, the company has been offering second-hand or “preloved” items in certain categories, she said.

For example, The Bay’s marketplace currently has more than a hundred preloved designer handbags on offer.

“Preloved is now a category that’s growing quite rapidly with (the marketplace),” said Janney. “We’ll see this growing even more.”

The online clothing resale market, popularized by websites or apps like Etsy, Depop and Poshmark, has been on the rise for years.

Websites such as eBay and Kijiji have long been popular for reselling home items. Some large retailers, such as Best Buy, offer refurbished or open-box items alongside their regular brand-new offerings.

A 2021 report by online second-hand store thredUP, using research and data from thirdparty firm GlobalData, projected the second-hand market would double over the next five years, growing 11 times faster than the broader retail clothing sector.

People are becoming more open to second-hand shopping, the report states, driven by concerns over sustainability as well as price.

Millennial parents are increasingly interested in making more sustainable choices when shopping for their family, according to a Monday news release from The Bay.

Rebelstork’s Hosie said baby gear has become more and more pricey over the years, and parents often turn to the second-hand market to save a few dollars when buying items — and then to recoup some money when they’re done with them.

These items have a short lifespan, said Hosie, and are often incredibly expensive when purchased new.

Hosie said young parents are also interested in the sustainability aspect of reselling items, and also look to support sustainable companies or brands, such as those that use recycled materials. And when they no longer use an item, parents want to know where it’s going, she said.

Hosie said the company saw a bump in business during the pandemic, as more and more parents started shopping online.

“This is how parents are shopping,” said Hosie — a little bit of used, a little bit of new, and with an eye to the sustainability practices of the businesses they’re supporting.

The Rebelstork marketplace will be available via thebay.com as of Sept. 26.