AS brand-name retailers in the United States struggle to fill shelves, a crop of online platforms that trade in secondhand wares are poised to profit handsomely from the global supply chain crunch.

The products for sale on sites such as The RealReal Inc., a members-only consignment marketplace for luxury goods, or Poshmark Inc., a mobile app for secondhand apparel, are already manufactured and sitting in people’s closets. This allows them to largely avoid backed-up ports and freight transport, and more importantly, they’re currently available.

“Many retailers are struggling with supply chain disruptions, presenting consumers with thin inventory and higher prices,” said Anthony Marino, president of online high-end thrift store ThredUp Inc. By contrast, “100 percent of our items are already in stock and ready to ship, with new items added hourly,” he said.

Consumers are facing dire warnings to get their holiday shopping done early this year, especially if they’re planning to do it online. Bottlenecks in the global supply chain are posing a new challenge to the e-commerce industry, and out-of-stock items represent a growing concern. According to Adobe Inc., which tracks online commerce, “out of stock” messages on retailers websites are up 172 percent compared with last year. And many companies are signaling that supply will remain tight through the end of the year, opening an opportunity for secondhand retailers to gain an edge while consumer demand is high.

“This may be the perfect scenario for resale, which relies on inventory already in the seller’s hands,” said Roxanne Meyer, an analyst for MKM Partners.

The U.S. secondhand online retail market is expected to top US$65 billion this year, an all time high for the industry according to a survey from Mercari, a secondhand e-commerce site. (SD-Agencies)