The Real Real’s Euro Version: Lampoo Gets Physical in Milan

Enrico Trombini candidly admits that The Real Real has been the ultimate source of inspiration for Lampoo, the pre-owned fashion consignment marketplace that he launched in March.

“I think that in the future, the industry of pre-owned commerce will be highly polarized between peer-to-peer and managed marketplaces and our goal is to reinforce our positioning in the second model,” said Trombini, who was a manager at Veepee before embarking on this entrepreneurial adventure.

In keeping with the strategy developed across the States by The Real Real, Lampoo will inaugurate on Dec. 5 its first physical store in the heart of Milan’s Brera district, on Via Ponte Vetero, only 10 months after being established.

“Selling is only the third goal of this project,” said Trombini. “I think that this boutique will be instrumental to raise awareness around Lampoo, which is still a super young project, and second thing we want it to become is a catalyst to boost the company.” In fact, Trombini decided to create right above the store a showroom, which will be open from January, where the service’s users will be able to drop off their products in an elegant and discreet space.

Offering an elevated experience both online and off-online is actually one of Lampoo’s main focuses. Different from peer-to-peer services such as Vestiaire Collective, Lampoo directly takes care of picking up the products at the sellers’ locations, handles the photo shoot and pricing and ships to those purchasing the items. Since the launch, Lampoo created a community of around 1,000 sellers and made shipments to 42 countries. “We are very proud of our quick shipments,” said Trombini. “Thanks to a partnership with DHL, we offer a one-day delivery service in Italy and a purchase can be delivered in Los Angeles, for example, in between three and four days.”

To create a link between the online and off-line experience, Lampoo inside the Milan store created an impressive display on one of the walls that mimics an e-commerce product page and showcases 90 pre-owned bags. “Ninety percent of the store’s offering will be bags, there won’t be any ready-to-wear,” said Trombini, highlighting that bags are the best-selling categories on his marketplace.

In addition, to reflect the company’s roots in sustainability and the circular economy, the store’s flooring is decorated with a circle created from remnants of marble in different colors.

“Our ambition is to become the European leaders in this sector and I think that this opening in a real capital of fashion might be a very significant first step for our expansion,” said Trombini.

Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.