Circular vs Trove
Trove built the playbook for enterprise resale. But their model assumes you want someone else to run your resale program. If you want to own it, Circular is the better fit.
Trove is impressive. It's also built for a different kind of brand.
Trove pioneered branded resale for the world's biggest brands. They command 75% of the U.S. branded resale market, operate fulfillment centers, and run entire resale operations for brands like Patagonia, Levi's, Lululemon, and Canada Goose.
If you're processing 100,000+ items per year and want someone else to handle everything, Trove is a solid choice. They know what they're doing.
But most brands aren't at that scale. And more importantly, many brands wantto run resale themselves — in their own stores, with their own staff, as part of their own customer experience. That's not what Trove was built for.
Circular was built for brands who believe resale should be in-house — not outsourced.
Why in-house resale wins
You keep the customer
When resale happens in your store, you own the relationship. The customer walks in, browses, buys — and comes back. With Trove, they're shopping on a separate platform.
You control the brand
Your staff curates what sells. Your store sets the standard. Your brand voice runs through every touchpoint. It's not a white-label portal — it's your program.
You keep the margin
No revenue shares to a managed service provider. No warehouse fees. No minimum volumes. You sell at your price, and you keep what you earn.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Circular | Trove |
|---|---|---|
| Target brands | Any brand with physical retail — from 1 store to 100+ | Enterprise brands processing 100k+ items/year (Patagonia, Levi's, Eileen Fisher) |
| Business model | SaaS — you run resale in-house with our software | Managed service — Trove handles operations, logistics, and fulfillment |
| Where resale happens | Your stores + your online shop (Shopify integration) | Dedicated resale microsite operated by Trove |
| Item processing | In your stores, by your team, with AI-powered intake (15x faster) | Shipped to Trove warehouses for centralized processing |
| Brand control | Full control — your brand, your pricing, your customer relationship | Trove-branded experience with your logo |
| Customer data | You own all customer data and relationships | Shared with Trove's platform |
| Pricing | Pay-as-you-go, commission on sales. No setup fees | Enterprise contracts, significant minimum commitments, setup fees |
| Time to launch | Under 30 days, often under 2 weeks | 3-6 months for full integration |
| Store integration | Built for physical retail — POS sync, in-store signage, staff training | Primarily online-focused with some in-store drop-off options |
| Seller management | Automated emails, seller portal, payouts — all handled by Circular | Managed by Trove's operations team |
When Trove might be the better choice
We're not going to pretend Circular is right for everyone. If you're a global brand processing hundreds of thousands of items per year, if you need centralized warehousing and fulfillment, and if you'd rather fully outsource resale operations — Trove is built exactly for that.
But if you have physical retail, if you want resale to drive foot traffic and build loyalty, and if you believe your brand should own its resale experience — Circular will get you there faster, cheaper, and with more control.
See how Circular works for your brand
We'll walk you through the platform and show you what in-house resale looks like — with real examples.