Running a branded resale pilot
A step-by-step playbook for testing branded resale in one store. Low risk, fast results, real data to present to your team.
1-2 weeks
Setup
30 minutes
Staff training
4-8 weeks
Pilot duration
$0 upfront
Total investment
Pick your pilot store
Choose one store to test. Ideally one with an engaged store manager, decent foot traffic, and enough space for a small secondhand section.
If you have multiple locations, pick the one where the team is most excited about resale. Internal champions make all the difference.
Tip: Look for the store manager who's already talking about sustainability or has asked about secondhand. They'll drive adoption.
Define your pilot scope
Keep it simple. Start with one product category if you want — e.g., outerwear only, or women's tops only. Circular's AI handles any product type, but limiting scope makes it easier to evaluate results.
Set a timeframe: 4-8 weeks is ideal. Long enough to see patterns, short enough to stay focused.
Tip: Decide upfront: what does success look like? Number of items processed? Revenue generated? New customers acquired? You need a metric to present to leadership.
Circular sets up everything
This is where Circular does the heavy lifting. We'll set up:
- →Your branded resale landing page
- →Seller registration and communication flows
- →AI-powered item intake configured for your brand
- →Shopify integration (if selling online too)
- →POS integration for in-store sales
- →In-store signage and marketing materials
- →Staff training materials
Typical setup time: 1-2 weeks. Your team's involvement during setup is minimal — mainly brand approvals and store logistics.
Train your staff (30 minutes)
Resale intake with Circular is designed to be intuitive. Staff training covers:
- →How to receive consignment items (photograph, inspect, grade)
- →How the AI creates listings from photos
- →How to price items (AI suggests, your team approves)
- →How to use the POS for resale transactions
- →How the seller payout system works
It's a 30-minute session. Most staff pick it up immediately because the AI handles the complex parts.
Launch and promote
Go live. Use the marketing materials Circular creates for you:
- →Launch newsletter to your email list
- →Social media content (posts, stories, carousel templates)
- →In-store signage (drop-off signs, shelf talkers, price labels)
- →Website banner or landing page
The first week is about getting items in. Encourage your own team to bring in personal items from your brand — it seeds the selection and creates buzz.
Measure and present
After your pilot period, pull the numbers. Circular's dashboard gives you everything you need:
- →Items processed and sold
- →Revenue generated
- →New vs returning customers
- →Average selling price and time-to-sale
- →Seller satisfaction (via automated surveys)
- →Store foot traffic impact (if trackable)
Package the results with 2-3 quotes from store staff and customers. Present to leadership with a clear recommendation: scale, iterate, or stop. The data will speak for itself.
Pilot success checklist
Track these metrics during your pilot to build a compelling case for scaling.
Presenting your pilot results
When presenting to leadership, lead with the business case, not the sustainability story. Sustainability is important, but executives want to see revenue, customer acquisition, and operational feasibility.
Structure your presentation like this:
1. The opportunity
$350B secondhand market. Our products are already being resold on third-party platforms. We should own this.
2. What we tested
Pilot scope, duration, and which store. Keep it factual.
3. The results
Revenue, items sold, new customers, time-to-sale. Use charts if possible.
4. Qualitative feedback
2-3 quotes from staff and customers. Nothing beats real voices.
5. The recommendation
Scale to X stores, or iterate on Y before expanding. Be specific.
6. The risk (it's low)
Pay-as-you-go pricing. No long-term contracts. We can stop anytime.
Ready to start your pilot?
Start here
Book a demo with Circular
We'll walk through your specific situation, help you choose a pilot store, and get you set up. Most brands are live in under 30 days.
Need to convince your team first?
Read the pitch guide
Objection handling, talking points, and an email template to pitch branded resale internally.
Resources
Success Stories
See how Northern Playground launched resale
Examples
Marketing materials, emails, signage Circular creates
How It Works
Full platform and operations breakdown
Compare Alternatives
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getcircular.ai
Circular's main website
Pricing
Pay-as-you-go, no setup fees