The global secondhand e-commerce market reached $38 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow nearly 8 percent annually through 2032. This growth creates powerful opportunities for St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) thrift stores to break into this market and expand their operations online.
As an official national partner of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Upright Labs provides the technology, training, and guidance to help stores build sustainable e-commerce operations. In fact, Upright’s work with the SVdP National Store, generated $7.9k in online revenue in just its second full month using our platform.
With our quick setup process, impeccable customer support, and your team’s buy-in, your location can see similar results.
Let’s outline the practical steps and free resources to help your SVdP strengthen its mission through a thriving secondhand e-commerce operation.
Why E-Commerce Matters for St. Vincent de Paul
Consumer demand for sustainable shopping continues to rise. This is opening significant growth potential for SVdP thrift stores. Selling online adds an additional revenue stream that goes beyond local foot traffic, allowing donations to reach a national (and even global) buyer base.
In many cases, e-commerce delivers higher margins on specialty items such as jewelry, handbags, vintage, and branded apparel. This additional revenue strengthens each SVdP’s ability to fund food pantries, disaster relief, housing support, and other vital programs that serve neighbors in need.
So, where do you start?
eBay is the perfect launchpad into the world of e-commerce.
Here are five steps to help your SVdP launch and scale on eBay:
Step 1: Lay the Foundation
Before listing a single item, evaluate your SVdP’s readiness. Confirm you have a steady donation flow, staff or volunteers to manage listings, and a dedicated space for photographing and packing orders.
And don’t worry. You don’t need to flip your store over on day one. Many SVdP locations start small, listing just a handful of items to learn the process before expanding. E-commerce success is built step-by-step, not overnight. With the right plan and support, it becomes a natural extension of your existing thrift operation.
Next, choose your selling platform. eBay is recommended for SVdPs and other resale businesses due to its massive worldwide buyer base, well-defined product categories, and low barrier to entry.
Beyond software, Upright provides the operational expertise and connections to help your team transition smoothly into e-commerce. From layout design and workflow setup to account configuration and category optimization, our specialists and subject-matter experts (SMEs) guide you through every step of the process.
Finally, set clear goals for your organization early. Establish monthly revenue targets, team roles, and shipping timelines to help guide your growth and measure success. For a deeper dive into inventory flow, pricing, and shipping best practices, download Upright’s Definitive Guide to Secondhand Retail Inventory Management.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We've seen it all from EIN number setup to any other nuance. Upright Labs works directly with eBay’s nonprofit team to get your SVdP account up and running quickly.
Step 2: Build Your eBay Store the Right Way
Start by creating a professional eBay business account, and make sure to register your store as a nonprofit organization. This ensures your SVdP location receives access to eBay’s nonprofit tools, visibility features, and donation options that align directly with your mission.
Choose a store name that reflects your SVdP’s location or brand and clearly ties back to your organization’s charitable purpose. Configure payment, shipping, and return policies early to create a smooth customer experience and consistent operations as your sales grow.
To make setup simple, Upright’s eBay Business & Shipping Policy Setup Guide walks you through each step from account creation to policy templates. It includes best practices tailored specifically for secondhand and nonprofit sellers, helping you avoid common pitfalls and get started with confidence.
Starting with the right structure saves time, prevents errors, and sets the stage for scalable, mission-driven growth.
Step 3: Source, Identify, & Price Donations
Focus on categories with proven resale value, like jewelry, handbags, electronics, and branded apparel. Build local relationships with estate services, auction houses, and other donors to maintain a steady supply, and create a quality-control process so the best items reach your eBay store.
Leverage resale trends and data to guide both sourcing and pricing decisions. This ensures your team targets items buyers are actively searching for and choosing a price buyers are willing to pay.
Authenticating and testing luxury goods is essential for high-value categories such as designer handbags and fine jewelry. Proper workflows not only boost product value and customer trust but also protect your business legally while reinforcing industry best practices.
Once inventory is ready, list new items daily rather than in large batches. eBay’s algorithm rewards active sellers with greater search visibility to help your products reach more buyers.
For hands-on support, Upright’s Professional Services offers tailored packages to help SVdP locations launch and scale e-commerce operations, including On-Site Audits, Launch Packages, and specialized Jewelry and Electronics Growth Programs.
Upright also provides free downloadable resources to strengthen every step of your operation:
Upright's Jewelry Identification & Testing Guide
Sorting through jewelry donations?
Identify quality like a pro!
Upright's Handbag Examination Guide
Learn to identify what's real, so you can list what sells.
Upright's Secondhand Booksellers Playbook
Maximize book profits and run a smarter, leaner business.
Step 4: Optimize Operations & Scale Up
As your e-commerce sales grow, efficient inventory management keeps profits strong and teams focused. Follow a first in, first out (FIFO) process so older items are listed and sold before newer arrivals. Organizing stock by arrival date and tracking it with Upright Lister, our all-in-one secondhand inventory and listing software, makes FIFO simple, accurate, and easy to audit. Lister also flags slow movers for repricing or purging, helping you keep shelves lean and free up valuable warehouse space.
Use data to shape listing strategies that fit your SVdP’s goals and storage capacity. Strategic discounts, bulk lots, or re-donations prevent unsold inventory from tying up shelf space and hurting profitability.
For a step-by-step daily schedule, the Sportsball Method for Productivity offers a proven framework that keeps staff aligned and accountable from intake to shipping.
To take your SVdP’s e-commerce operations to the next level, you need to know what sells and which brands are in demand. The Q4 Top Brands Guide is your data-packed cheat sheet for smarter sourcing, pricing, and listing in Q4 2025.
Step 5: Keep Learning & Adapting
Growth doesn’t stop after launch. Monitor key metrics like sell-through rate and average price per item to pinpoint opportunities and spot problems early. Review listings weekly to catch stale inventory and adjust prices as needed.
Experiment with new categories, seasonal promotions, or bundled deals to spark buyer interest and move stock faster. Track the results of each change so you can double down on what works and stop what doesn’t. A cycle of measuring, experimenting, and refining keeps your secondhand e-commerce operation efficient, profitable, and ready to scale further.
SVdP National Store: $7.9K Revenue in Two Months on eBay
The SVdP National Store in Avondale, AZ partnered with Upright to optimize and scale its e-commerce operation. They saw incredible results within just two months of implementing optimized workflows and tools.
Quick Wins They Experienced:
- $7,963 increase in revenue in second full month
- 50% increase in listing speed
- 32% increase in clothing sell-through rate
- Achieved Top Rated Seller status on eBay at first available opportunity
Their success demonstrates that other SVdP locations can achieve similar results. By using structured guidance and technology from Upright, SVdPs across the country can build profitable e-commerce operations that further support their communities.
Building the Future of SVdP Online
The secondhand e-commerce market presents significant growth opportunities for SVdP locations on eBay. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to scale, the potential to turn donations into meaningful revenue to amplify community impact is within reach. With the right strategies, technology, and guidance, SVdP stores nationwide can thrive online.
Take the next step and contact the Upright Labs Growth Team to launch your eBay store and accelerate your resale operations today.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Join other St. Vincent de Paul organizations growing their mission through e-commerce.
Schedule a demo with our Growth Team to see how Upright Labs can help your store launch, optimize, and scale on eBay.