British outlet platform Secret Sales is launching web shops in Belgium and the Netherlands, as first part of a European expansion. The platform has reshaped itself into a marketplace for overstock.
From members-only to marketplace
Secret Sales has European ambitions and expands to Belgium and the Netherlands as a first step. Entrepreneurs Chris Griffin and Matt Purt took over members-only webshop for ‘flash sales’ (comparable to Veepee and Showroomprive) in 2020, and transformed the site into a outlet marketplace.
The platform offers remaining stocks from more than 1600 clothing brands directly to consumers. The participating brands also engage in dropshipping: they ship orders to customers themselves from their own warehouses. In 2021, 31 million unique users visited the UK site. The website has 6.7 million registered account holders in its home market.
Twelve more countries
The formula is now setting its sights on the European continent, with a launch in Belgium and the Netherlands. Initially, shoppers can find 450 international and regional brands, managed by a local team in the Netherlands. More than 700 million euros worth of stock is currently available on both websites, the company says. The Dutch and Belgian websites also offer free shipping and a 60-day return period.
Meanwhile, Secret Sales has also closed a final investment round, with which the platform wants to expand to twelve more European countries. The goal is to become the largest platform for discount fashion in Europe. “Secret Sales offers a completely new perspective on buying products at a lower price, from the look of the website to the experience during shopping and shipping”, says already Tom Kelly, director of Secret Sales Netherlands and Belgium.
