Giftsy

What Giftsy does

Giftsy operates a peer-to-peer web-based community marketplace founded in 2017 and headquartered in San Francisco, where users exchange and gift pre-loved fashion items rather than buying or selling them. The platform distinguishes itself from transactional resale marketplaces by removing monetary exchange: givers post items at no cost, and recipients request items by sharing a personal story explaining why they want the piece; the giver then selects a recipient. A separate Exchange Function allows users to propose trades of items from their own closets. The platform is organized across broad fashion verticals — Dresses, Tops, Skirts, Jackets, Pants, Active Wear, Costume, Shoes, Accessories, plus dedicated Men and Kids sections — with extensive subcategorization (e.g., Daytime, Cocktail, Gown within Dresses).

The business model is freemium with no transaction fees on item value. Membership and browsing are free, and the only disclosed revenue stream is shipping fees paid by recipients to receive items. Go-to-market is product-led growth via a self-serve website at getgiftsy.com, supplemented by organic community channels including a Reddit community (r/ReuseRewear), a Facebook group, and a companion blog at Sharegiftsy.com. The company has no mobile app, no public API, no disclosed enterprise contracts, no patents, and no AI/ML features in evidence. Founder and CEO Cindy Lee leads a team of 1-10.

Scale signals are early: 212 items listed, 53 community members, and an estimated 0.02 tonnes of CO2 avoided through clothing reuse. Total disclosed funding to date is a single $5,000 round in October 2019 from undisclosed investors. Customer testimonials are exclusively from individual SMB/consumer users in the Fashion/Retail persona of fashion-conscious consumers seeking sustainable alternatives to fast fashion. The company's operating status is active, with sign-ups and item listings ongoing.

Name

Giftsy

Website

https://getgiftsy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Giftsy is a peer-to-peer web marketplace, founded in 2017 and based in San Francisco, where individuals gift and exchange pre-loved fashion items through personal stories rather than buying or selling, monetizing solely via recipient-paid shipping fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Peer-to-peer fashion exchange marketplace

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942)

SIC

Retail-Women's Clothing Stores (5621), Retail-Family Clothing Stores (5651)

akta.pro primary industry

Gift Sourcing & Procurement (Local & Online) (HSACANAB)

Keywords

• Peer-to-peer fashion exchange
• Clothing gifting marketplace
• Sustainable fashion platform
• Community clothing swap
• Pre-loved apparel sharing

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Shipping fees: Recipients pay a small shipping fee to receive items, creating a transaction-based revenue stream without charging for the items themselves.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Giftsy operates a web-based peer-to-peer community marketplace where members share pre-loved fashion items through personal stories rather than buying or selling. Users list clothing items to gift or exchange, browse community listings, propose item swaps, or request items by sharing their story; recipients cover only a small shipping fee while items themselves are free.

Product overview

Giftsy is a community-based fashion gifting and exchange platform operating as a single unified web application. The core Giftsy Platform enables users to share and exchange pre-loved fashion items through storytelling rather than monetary transactions. The platform comprises two main features: the Gift Function (allowing users to share clothing as gifts or request items by sharing stories) and the Exchange Function (enabling users to propose trades of clothing items). The platform organizes fashion across multiple categories including Dresses (with subcategories: Daytime, Cocktail, Gown, Party, Work, Romper), Tops (Blouses, Knits & Tees, Fancy), Skirts (Maxi, Mid length, Mini, Pencil), Jackets (Leather & faux leather, Jackets, Blazers, Vests), Pants (Long, Shorts, Leggings, Leather & faux leather), Active Wear (Swimwear, Workout, Jackets & hoodies, Sports bras), Costume (Men, Women, Children), Shoes (Boots & booties, Flats, Pumps, Platforms, Sandals, Wedges, Sneakers), Accessories (Jewelry, Watches, Belts, Hand bag, Sunglasses, Hats, Scarves, Miscellaneous, Bags), and dedicated Men and Kids sections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Giftsy Platform A web-based community marketplace that allows individual fashion-conscious consumers to gift pre-loved clothing to others or propose item-for-item exchanges, all organized through personal stories across categories such as Dresses, Tops, Skirts, Jackets, Pants, Active Wear, Shoes, Accessories, Men's, and Kids' apparel.

Quantifiable outcome

• 212 items listed and shared within the community
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Poshmark: Social commerce marketplace for buying and selling new and pre-owned fashion. Direct peer operating in the same peer-to-peer secondhand clothing category, although Poshmark's model is fully transactional whereas Giftsy is gifting/exchange based.
• Depop: Gen Z-focused peer-to-peer marketplace for unique and pre-loved fashion. Closest peer in terms of community-driven, peer-to-peer DNA and demographic targeting, though Depop is fully transactional.
• Vinted: European peer-to-peer marketplace for secondhand clothing and accessories. Operates a similar community model for pre-loved fashion with a built-in shipping label flow — directly comparable to Giftsy's shipping-fee mechanics.
• thredUP: Online consignment and thrift marketplace for women's and kids' clothing. Direct peer in secondhand fashion with much broader catalog scale and a more developed resale supply chain.
• The RealReal: Online marketplace for authenticated luxury consignment. Direct peer operating in the secondhand fashion category, especially relevant given Giftsy's emphasis on gifting designer/brand-name pieces.
• Vestiaire Collective: Global peer-to-peer marketplace for pre-owned luxury fashion with authentication. Direct peer in secondhand fashion category, particularly for higher-end items Giftsy users sometimes list.

Broad incumbents

• Mercari: Broader peer-to-peer marketplace with a sizable fashion category alongside general merchandise. Comparable shipping-paid-by-buyer mechanic, though Mercari's category breadth means fashion is one of several verticals.
• OfferUp: Local and national peer-to-peer marketplace for general goods including apparel. Less specialized in fashion than Giftsy but operates a similar peer-driven resale model with shipping/local-pickup options.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/getgiftsy
• Xx.com/ShareGiftsy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/giftsy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Giftsy