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Second-hand outdoor sporting goods e-marketplace Campsider raises €2 million
While the fashion and luxury sectors have been exploring the second-hand market’s potential for some years, with the emergence of giants like Vinted and Vestiaire Collective, the opportunities afforded by the resale of sporting goods have not yet been tapped by many entrepreneurs. In France, things have changed in recent months, and several players have thrown down the gauntlet in the fight to take the lead in the second-hand sporting goods market.
On April 7, e-marketplace Campsider announced it has attracted a number of investors after carrying out a funding round worth €2 million. Campsider was created in 2021 by Thomas Gounot, a graduate of EM Lyon, and HEC graduate Arthur Rocle. Its goal is to offer outdoor sports practitioners the opportunity to buy and sell second-hand products, ranging from equipment to performance apparel, shoes and accessories. Campsider developed via the Outdoor Sports Valley incubator in Annecy, France, and claims to stock 50,000 products, bringing together a community of 60,000 members. Campsider said it offers expert advice to its members, as well as “all the guarantees expected from a classic e-commerce site.”
The company has attracted its first investors in the course of a funding round led by investment firm Founders Future, created by Marc Menasé and specialised in start-up development. Various players in the outdoor activity and resale sectors have invested alongside Founders Future.
With the funds, Campsider is planning to hire extra staff, redesign the website and launch an app. It also intends to develop partnerships with industry players, like the one set up with ski brand ZAG.
“By playing the role of trusted third parties, we position ourselves as a credible alternative to the [purchase of] new products, something that outdoor enthusiasts, who have never been so ready to transform their consumption behaviour, are now demanding,” said the co-founders, in a press release.
Campsider is aiming to capture a share of an outdoor activity market with 29 million practitioners, from occasional trekkers to seasoned climbers, whose revenue is estimated by BVA to be worth €6.9 billion.
Campsider plans to offer 100,000 products from 300 brands by the end of 2022, and to reach 150,000 users. In 2023, it aims to generate a revenue of €6 million. No timeline for when it will turn a profit has yet been given.
Campsider’s challenge will be to convince consumers to use its services. Competition in the second-hand sporting goods sector in France is heating up. In 2020, Everide began selling second-hand products online. Barooders, also launched in Annecy, did the same last year. Sporteed and WayTwo instead have positioned themselves as sport generalists, featuring a number of different product categories. The sporting goods resale market’s potential seems significant, but these new players will have to rise to the challenge of generating major sales volumes in order to emerge.
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