Sign Of The Times
Sign of the Times is a London-based luxury reseller founded in 1976 that buys and sells authenticated pre-loved designer bags, clothing, shoes, accessories, and jewellery through three London retail locations and a Shopify e-commerce site, serving individual luxury consumers and consignors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sign Of The Times does
Sign of the Times is a London-based luxury pre-loved designer consignment retailer, founded in 1976, that buys and sells authenticated second-hand designer goods including bags, clothing, shoes, accessories, and jewellery from brands such as Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Dior, Bottega Veneta, Fendi, Loewe, and Celine. The company operates as a direct-to-consumer business through a Shopify-based e-commerce storefront (signofthetimeslondon.com) and three physical retail locations in London, with a flagship in Chelsea featuring 1,500+ pieces, a private selling room, and personal shopping appointments. It engages customers through community events, pop-up activations at venues like Westfield London and Truman Brewery, and editorial content via its "Sign Talk" blog.
The business serves two complementary customer segments: luxury fashion consumers purchasing authenticated pre-loved items across price points from under £500 for accessories to over $10,000 for rare designer bags, and individuals selling unwanted luxury designer items through the company's direct purchase programme. Revenue is generated through transactional sales of curated inventory, supplemented by a loyalty programme (Sign Insiders), gift cards, and sale promotions (e.g., buy 2+ get 20% off with code PLUS20). Marketing runs across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, an email newsletter with a £20 first-purchase incentive, and earned press coverage in Forbes, Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, and WWD.
The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors, parent company, or funding events. It has cumulatively fulfilled over 500,000 orders and maintains an "Excellent" Trustpilot rating. The operating model is capital-light and founder-controlled, with all commerce currently UK-domiciled and no disclosed international expansion, M&A activity, or institutional capital.
Sign Of The Times firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sign Of The Times
- Legal name
- Sign of the Times
- Website
- https://wearesott.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sign of the Times is a London-based luxury reseller founded in 1976 that buys and sells authenticated pre-loved designer bags, clothing, shoes, accessories, and jewellery through three London retail locations and a Shopify e-commerce site, serving individual luxury consumers and consignors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sign Of The Times industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Luxury Resale
- NAICS
- Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458), Used Merchandise Retailers (459510)
- SIC
- Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Authenticated Luxury Resale Marketplaces (CRAKAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury Consignment Boutiques (Online/Offline) (CRAKAKAE), Pre-owned, Vintage & Resale Luxury (Multi-category) (CRAKAFAN)
Keywords
Where Sign Of The Times is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sign Of The Times business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Sales of Pre-Loved Designer Goods: Buys and sells authenticated pre-loved luxury fashion items including designer bags, clothing, shoes, accessories, and jewellery. Acts as a curated marketplace for luxury resale.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing with sale discounts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Sign Of The Times product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sign of the Times buys and resells authenticated pre-loved and vintage luxury designer goods through its e-commerce site and three London retail locations. The assortment spans luxury handbags, designer clothing, shoes, accessories, jewellery, and homeware from brands such as Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Dior, Bottega Veneta, Fendi, Loewe, and Celine. The company also purchases designer items directly from consumers through a sell-to-us service and runs a customer loyalty programme plus gift cards.
Product overview
Sign of the Times is a luxury fashion resale platform operating as a unified e-commerce store with physical retail locations in London. The business specializes in pre-loved and vintage designer goods across five core product categories: luxury bags, designer clothing, shoes, accessories, and jewellery. The Chelsea flagship store features over 1,500 pieces with a private selling room. The company also offers complementary services including a sell-to-us programme for customers looking to part with luxury items, and a loyalty programme (Sign Insiders) for repeat customers. Gift cards are available as an add-on product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Luxury Designer Bags Pre-loved and vintage luxury handbags from designer brands including Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Fendi, and Saint Laurent. Categories include shoulder bags, cross-body bags, tote bags, clutch bags, top handle bags, and luggage.
- Designer Clothing Pre-loved designer clothing including coats, jackets, knitwear, dresses, tops, skirts, trousers, denim, and sets from luxury brands. Available in sizes UK 6 through L, with XS/XXS options.
- Designer Shoes Luxury footwear including boots, flat shoes, flat sandals, heels, and trainers. Available in EU sizes 36-41 (UK 3-8).
- Designer Accessories Luxury accessories including scarves, belts, sunglasses, wallets, hats, and homeware from brands like Gucci, Dior, Prada, Hermès, Loewe, and Celine.
- Jewellery Designer jewellery from Chanel, Tiffany & Co., Dior, Bottega Veneta, and other luxury brands including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings, with an under-£500 entry tier.
- Vintage Designer Items Vintage luxury pieces including vintage Chanel bags, vintage clothing, and vintage Louis Vuitton items sourced for collectors and enthusiasts.
- Sell Designer Goods Service Service allowing customers to sell their pre-loved designer items to Sign of the Times. The company purchases authenticated luxury pieces directly from sellers, with private selling rooms available at the Chelsea flagship.
- Gift Cards Digital gift cards available for purchase for gifting purposes, usable across the Sign of the Times product range.
Companies that use Sign Of The Times
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sign Of The Times technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sign Of The Times partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Sign Of The Times competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vestiaire Collective: Global authenticated luxury resale marketplace. Closest direct competitor to Sign of the Times, operating at much greater scale across bags, clothing, accessories and jewellery from the same maisons.
- The RealReal: US-listed authenticated luxury consignment platform. Direct comparable in pre-loved designer bags, clothing, shoes and jewellery with branded in-house authentication.
- Hardly Ever Worn It: UK-founded luxury designer resale platform (HEWI). Same customer base and category focus (bags, clothing, accessories from Hermès, Chanel, Gucci, Dior) with both DTC and marketplace-style mechanics.
- Sellier Knightsbridge: London-based luxury consignment boutique in Knightsbridge. Direct UK peer operating in pre-loved designer handbags and accessories with similar boutique-style authentication-led model.
- Designer Exchange: UK luxury handbag resale specialist with physical stores and online sales. Overlaps directly with Sign of the Times on authenticated designer bag buy/sell and trade-in services.
- Fashionphile: US-based pre-owned luxury handbag and accessories resale specialist. Comparable authentication-led buy-sell model with deep focus on Hermès, Chanel and Louis Vuitton.
- LXR: US luxury handbag resale platform with authentication services. Direct peer in authenticated pre-loved designer handbags, with similar buy-sell service model.
Regional players
- ReSee: Paris-based authenticated luxury vintage and resale boutique. Comparable curated vintage-designer assortment and consignment approach, but primarily serving the French market.
Broad incumbents
- 1stDibs: Public luxury marketplace spanning fashion, jewellery, art and home. Overlaps with Sign of the Times on authenticated vintage designer fashion and jewellery, though as part of a much broader luxury catalogue.
- The Outnet: Discount luxury fashion e-commerce platform owned by Mytheresa. Serves a similar value-seeking designer-fashion customer with brand-led rather than resale inventory, hence a broader incumbent rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sign Of The Times social profiles
Digital presenceSign Of The Times financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sign Of The Times leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Sign Of The Times funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sign Of The Times M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sign Of The Times
What does Sign Of The Times do?
Sign of the Times buys and resells authenticated pre-loved and vintage luxury designer goods through its e-commerce site and three London retail locations. The assortment spans luxury handbags, designer clothing, shoes, accessories, jewellery, and homeware from brands such as Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Dior, Bottega Veneta, Fendi, Loewe, and Celine. The company also purchases designer items directly from consumers through a sell-to-us service and runs a customer loyalty programme plus gift cards.
Is Sign Of The Times a public or private company?
Sign Of The Times is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Sign Of The Times founded?
Sign Of The Times was founded in 1976. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sign Of The Times based?
Sign Of The Times is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Sign Of The Times make money?
One revenue line is on record: retail Sales of Pre-Loved Designer Goods.
Who are Sign Of The Times's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vestiaire Collective, The RealReal, Hardly Ever Worn It, Sellier Knightsbridge, Designer Exchange, Fashionphile and LXR. ReSee is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are 1stDibs and The Outnet.
Does Sign Of The Times have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sign Of The Times.
What industry is Sign Of The Times in?
Sign Of The Times's product category is Luxury Resale. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAKAKAA, Authenticated Luxury Resale Marketplaces, with a secondary code of CRAKAKAE, Luxury Consignment Boutiques (Online/Offline). Its NAICS code is 458 and its SIC code is 5600.