A Manchester-based UK online classifieds site where people buy, sell and give away second-hand items, from furniture to prams to pets.
Preloved is a UK website where people post free adverts to sell, swap or give away second-hand things. It began as a place for second-hand and vintage items and grew to cover hundreds of categories, including furniture, baby and children's items, books, caravans and boats. It also became one of the largest sites for advertising pets, horses and livestock in the UK. Anyone can list items without listing or selling fees, and buyers contact sellers directly. Business sellers pay a monthly membership, and people can pay for extra exposure for their adverts. It also has mobile apps for iPhone and Android.
The site was founded in 1998 by Ian Buzer, when the internet was still new, as a community where second-hand enthusiasts could meet and trade. Its own words for its approach are that it gives second-hand items "a second chance", and it promotes the message that "second hand isn't second best". Over the years it has run National Second Hand Day and a Restoration Day to encourage upcycling, which means fixing up or reworking old things so they can be used again. We could not find a formal mission or values statement, so we have not invented one.
Preloved is a UK-focused business. Wikipedia gives its headquarters as Manchester Airport, Manchester, and says it became part of The Hut Group in 2014 and now sits within THG Ingenuity, the group's technology business. A 2018 company press release described it as one of the UK's largest and most trusted online classifieds marketplaces. It reported then that it had passed 16 million adverts and 200 categories, and Wikipedia now gives more than 10 million members and 500 categories. These are company-reported figures from different dates, so treat them as rough.
The company has made a point of animal welfare. It says it banned the sale of ivory and wild-caught animals, partnered with groups including IFAW, WWF and TRAFFIC, and helped with research for the Ivory Bill 2018. The company also worked with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. We found no detailed picture of its internal culture or team, so we cannot say more about life inside the company.
Roles at a marketplace like this include website and app developers, data and search specialists, moderators who check adverts and keep the site safe, customer support, marketing and community staff, and business partnership managers. The company's work on second-hand goods gives a clear example of how reuse can be built into an everyday online service. For current openings and the shape of the team, look at the company's own website and at the wider THG careers pages.
Website: www.preloved.co.uk
PURPOSE helps school and university students explore 62 sectors and over 1,000 entry-level careers in the UK, then connects them directly with employers.
Explore PURPOSE