Increasingly international Rekki offers easy and sustainable second-hand finds

Rekki is an online shop for second-hand clothing. It helps customers sell and find clothes easily, effortlessly and sustainably. Controlled development, a functional concept, and sustainability have been Rekki’s keys to success. The company is now aiming to grow into a European leader.

”Through Rekki, you can sell your unnecessary clothes that are still in good condition and that you don’t want sell individually or give up for free, if the clothes still have value and use left in them,” says CEO and founder Bertta Häkkinen.

Rekki is also a handy channel for searching second-hand finds if you don’t have the time to browse flea markets or online forums. Shopping is anonymous and safe, and the products are delivered quickly.

“We take care of the pricing, photographs, storage, delivery, and buyers’ payments on the customer’s behalf. You can shop sustainably and safely for second-hand clothes on Rekki’s wide selection. It works just like a normal web shop,” Häkkinen states.

Controlled growth towards goals

Rekki is currently operating in Finland and the Baltic region. According to Häkkinen, the company is aiming to grow into a leader in second-hand fashion in Europe, so it is constantly planning international advances. After Finland and the Baltic region, the market for testing and sales is in other Nordic countries and then in Central Europe.

”Our goal is to have purchase points in five countries and customers in over ten EU countries by 2022,” Häkkinen says.

Even though Rekki has grown rapidly, the business has developed into the desired direction cost-effectively, and international growth is a significant focus.

“We’ve managed to control our growth and create profitable business and a popular service that is sustainable and responsible from the start,” Häkkinen says, summarising their principles. “I believe this will be the recipe for success in the future. Another great achievement is that we’ve been able to employ young people and contribute to well-being in that way. Rekki currently employs 20 people.”

Constant learning and teamwork

Häkkinen’s first piece of advice for other start-ups is clear: ”Fail fast. Here at Rekki, we see everyday blunders and failures more as areas for improvement that we put on our list quickly,” she says. “Through mistakes, we can develop our operations in an even better direction. This is why our customer service representatives heartily thank all customers who submit critical feedback.”

In addition to learning from failures, Häkkinen believes in having a right kind of attitude towards growth.

“We’ve been reasonably dissatisfied with our operations the whole time. Thanks to that, we’ve been able to improve and willing to develop. We’ve also needed to be resilient in face of constant change and the occasional tormenting slowness of it. You need to be able to maintain your motivation, even through you’ll likely never be finished.”

The third cornerstone is understanding the importance of the team.

”We’ve reached this point together and we can only move forward together. Our employees also work in teams,” Häkkinen says, describing the business.
She believes Tampere is a suitably-sized city for a growing company.

“There are sufficient services, business networks and available workforce here – and Tampere is also close enough to other Finnish cities and Europe.”

Building Tampere’s startup ecosystem together

6Aika – Ecosystems of growth: enabling the growth of companies through collaboration of the Kuutoskaupungit cities

The project supports the access of growth-oriented companies to suitable networks and services supporting research and product development activity. The project is implemented by the six biggest cities in Finland: Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, Turku and Oulu, and the Council of Tampere Region. The project is based on the idea of the cities’ active role in supporting the innovation activities of companies and the related support networks.