Katie Mather, a 37-year-old stay-at-home mother of three from Warrington, has built a thriving business in under a year by tapping into the UK's booming second-hand fashion market. After an unsuccessful decluttering venture, she launched Vinted Done For You, a service that sells clients' pre-loved garments on the Vinted platform.
From Universal Credit to £2,000 monthly earnings
Katie previously worked at a nursery and as a cleaner before claiming Universal Credit. She then tried starting a home decluttering business, promoting it online. A stranger's message asking if she sold on Vinted sparked the idea. “Somebody messaged me out of the blue and said, 'Do you sell on Vinted?' So I said, 'No, I don't, I'm sorry.' And then it didn't sit with me right, so it played on my mind and I was like, why do I not?” she recalled.
Motivated, Katie created a Facebook group called Vinted Done For You. “I just started advertising and I've not had time to think since. It's been absolute madness,” she said. Within her first month, she earned £800, and during her most successful months, she now generates over £2,000.
Unique upfront fee model
Unlike other Vinted sellers who take a commission on each sale, Katie charges clients an upfront fee. Sellers keep all proceeds from their items. “Other people will take clothes off a person and they will list them and then they take a percentage of the profit. But for me, listing them, photographing, storing them, and researching how much they are, you're doing a lot of work there, and it's not guaranteed money,” she explained.
She offers two packages: £60 for 10 items, stored for four weeks with daily account checks, message responses, and posting; and £135 for 30 items, stored for 12 weeks.
Rapid growth and demand
Since launching a year ago, Katie has expanded her rented storage space twice due to demand. She has worked with 180 clients, many returning. The time-consuming nature of selling is why people hire her, she believes.
As a stay-at-home mum, Katie says the business fits her lifestyle. “It suits me and I actually can't believe how big it's got. I mean, I was on Universal Credit when I started this,” she said. She works long hours, with help from her mother and fiancé. “My mum helps me now and again, and I have started to rope my partner in a little bit now because it's just getting chaotic.”
Future plans and advice
Katie aims to operate from a separate premises or small shop. She recommends Vinted selling to others seeking secondary income. “I do think if it works for me - it can work for anyone. I'm just like your average person. I can't even believe that I'm fortunate enough for this to have worked,” she said.
Her top tip: don't upload all items at once. “Vinted's got such a vast audience, it's so massive that anything sells. I get asked a lot as well, 'What can you advise me on what to bring?' I can't because anything can sell. If you bring a pink feather boa and someone's looking for a pink feather boa and I list it, it's gone.”
