Used Clothing Wholesale UK: Kilos, Grades and What to Pay

Second hand clothes are big business right now. Second hand fashion in the UK is worth nearly £8bn and has grown by about 20% a year since 2019 (OC&C). Vinted had around 17 million UK shoppers in 2025, more than every fashion brand apart from Primark and Next (Retail Week).

And plenty of people are making a living from it. Fleek, a London wholesale marketplace for second hand clothes, says more than 10,000 resellers now buy stock through it (The Industry). The BBC recently spoke to a Swindon reseller taking home £1,500 to £2,000 a month on Vinted and eBay, buying from car boots, charity shops and wholesale bundles (BBC, via AOL).

More people buying second hand means more of us reselling it. But if you're buying clothes in bulk for the first time, it can feel like everyone else knows something you don't. This guide covers the basics: how clothes are sold, what the grades mean, and what you should be paying.

How second hand clothes are sold

Most bulk clothing is sold by the kilo, not by the item. You'll usually see three options:

Bales: big, tightly packed bags, usually around 45 to 50 kg. Cheapest per kilo, but you need the space, and you won't know exactly what's inside until you open it.
Kilo bags or boxes: smaller mixed lots, often 10 to 25 kg.
Bundles: a set number of pieces, like 20 or 25 items. Dearer per item, but you usually see what you're getting.

How many pieces are in a kilo?

It depends what's in the bag, but a mixed bag usually works out at around 2 to 4 pieces a kilo. Chase's guide to kilo sales, for example, reckons on 3 or 4 T-shirts to a kilo (Chase).

Heavy pieces like jeans, hoodies and coats mean fewer pieces per kilo. So a kilo price only means something once you know what's in the bag.

Clothing grades: what they actually mean

The grade tells you what condition the clothes are in. There's no official rule, so one seller's Grade A can be another seller's Grade B. Roughly:

Grade	What you get	Good for
Cream	The best of the best. Barely worn, good brands	Vinted, Depop and Whatnot
Grade A	Good condition, ready to sell, decent brands	Most resellers. The best place to start
Grade B	Wearable but worn: some fading, bobbling or small marks	Cheap bundles, car boots, £1 rails
Grade C	Damaged or worn out	Not worth reselling
Unsorted	Nobody has checked it yet	Only if you've got the time and space to sort it

Before you buy, ask the seller three things: what does your Grade A actually mean, how much of it is branded, and are the photos of the actual bag or just the best bits?

Even Grade A isn't perfect. Fleek tells new resellers to expect about 1 in 5 items to need a wash or a small fix (Fleek). Build that into your sums.

How much should you pay per piece?

This is the number that matters. Whatever the kilo or bundle price, work out what you're paying per piece, then per piece you can actually sell.

Here are two real listings we've seen on Vault Pro:

What it is	Price	Per piece
Grade A pre-loved women's bundle, 25 pieces, all branded	£55	£2.20
Branded men's bundle, 20 pieces, Grade B/C	£2 each	£2

These are examples, not recommendations. Prices move all the time, and you should always check a supplier yourself before you pay.

A simple rule: aim to sell each piece for at least 3 to 4 times what you paid for it. Fleek says resellers typically make 2 to 3 times their money (Fleek), but fees, postage and duds eat into that, so leave yourself room. If a jumper sells for £12, try not to pay more than £3 to £4 for it.

Now count the duds. Take that £55 bundle: if 5 of the 25 pieces don't sell, you've actually paid £2.75 for each one that does.

Don't forget the other costs:

Postage, and the fees on the apps you sell on.
The duds: stains, holes, bobbling and odd sizes you can't list.
Your time washing, steaming, photographing and listing.
The leftovers. Plan where they go: a £1 rail, a car boot or a clothing bank.

Where to buy

Big wholesalers: bales and kilo bags. Best if you've got space and buy a lot.
UK bundle sellers: bundles of 10 to 50 pieces, posted or collected. Where most Vinted, eBay and Whatnot sellers start.
Other resellers clearing stock: one-off lots, often local, and often cheap.

Looking near you? Collecting saves on postage and lets you see the stock before you pay. Our free directory lists 42 UK pre-loved and second hand suppliers you can filter by town. For new stock, see women's fashion and men's fashion suppliers.

Red flags

Walk away if you see:

"Grade A" or "cream" at a price that seems too good to be true.
Only photos of the best pieces, or stock photos instead of the actual bag.
A seller who won't tell you brands, sizes or condition.
No company number, no address, or just a Gmail address.
Pressure to pay by bank transfer, or a fee to "reserve" a bale.

Before you pay:

Look the company up on Companies House and check how long they've been trading.
Ask for a photo or video of the actual bag, laid out.
Pay by card or PayPal Goods & Services, so you're covered if it goes wrong.
Start small. Buy one bundle and work out your real cost per piece before you buy more.
Ask in the Whatnot UK Sellers group whether anyone has bought from them.

Find bundles quicker

Take The Lot: clothing bundles posted by UK resellers, often with collection.
Free supplier directory: 42 UK pre-loved and second hand suppliers.
Vault Pro: type what you want, like "Grade A women's bundle under £60", and it searches UK suppliers and reseller bundles for you. £4.99 for your first month.

FAQ

Where can I buy used clothing wholesale near me? Look for wholesalers and bundle sellers in your area and ask if you can collect. Our free directory lets you filter pre-loved suppliers by town.

How many clothes are in 1 kg? Usually around 2 to 4 pieces in a mixed bag. Lighter things like T-shirts give you more per kilo; jeans, hoodies and coats give you fewer.

What does Grade A clothing mean? Good condition and ready to sell, with a decent share of known brands. Every seller grades differently, so always ask what theirs means.

What's the difference between cream and Grade A? Cream is the very best pieces, barely worn. Grade A is good quality but not always the top brands.

How much should I pay per piece? It depends on the grade and the brands, but branded Grade A bundles on Vault Pro are currently going for around £2 a piece. Aim to sell each piece for at least 3 to 4 times what you paid.

Is buying clothes in bulk worth it? It can be, as long as you work out your cost per piece you can actually sell, including duds, fees, postage and your time. Start with one small bundle.