Carousell to acquire Singapore’s Refash

The acquisition will simplify the selling process for time-starved users.

Recommerce firm Carousell Group has signed a deal to acquire Singapore's largest omnichannel recommerce retailer Refash to make the selling of secondhand fashion items simpler.

In a statement, Carousell said this came following the feedback from its community that users have no time to sell is one of the top concerns.

Through the partnership, they will enable the “empty-your-closet” capabilities to help time-starved sellers declutter instantly to make selling more seamless, leveraging Refash’s 10 physical thrift stores and its expertise in helping Singaporeans declutter for cash.

“With our reach and expertise in using technology and AI to create seamless buy-sell experiences for secondhand, we are excited to partner and accelerate the growth of Refash,” Carousell CEO and Co-founder Quek Siu Rui said.

For his part, Refash Founder Aloysius Sng said: “Through our physical thrift store network, we are providing a much sought-after service for consumers to declutter their closets in a quick and fuss-free manner, and together with Carousell, we can meaningfully enable more to participate in both ends of the spectrum, that is, to buy and sell secondhand fashion.”

Carousell has led tens of millions of secondhand transactions across its markets in the Greater Southeast Asian region, whilst Refash has processed over five million clothes and resold preloved clothing from over 305 international and local fashion brands.