Every company has a beginning, and Trendful's story is one of evolution, driven by a passion for the luxury resale market, technology, and problem-solving. Founded in late 2019, Trendful wasn't always a SaaS company, nor was its original mission to provide state-of-the-art resale software to merchants. In fact, it started as a humble luxury resale business, sparked by founder Jackie de la Parte's background working in the secondhand industry at art galleries and auction houses.
Jackie initially launched Trendful as an online merchant selling pre-owned designer items from her own closet through platforms like Tradesy, Poshmark, eBay, and Etsy. This start in luxury resale was prompted by Jackie's background in the secondhand luxury business, however, it gave us unique insight into the challenges that resale merchants face.
Expansion and the Birth of a Partnership
As Trendful's inventory grew, so did its ambitions. By 2019, Jackie brought on her sister-in-law, Mailys Rabot, to help build a dedicated Shopify online store for Trendful. With Mailys' engineering expertise and Jackie's industry knowledge, Trendful expanded its inventory sources beyond personal closets, turning to wholesale companies, estate sales, and auction houses to acquire high-quality pre-owned luxury items.
The two co-founders, are not just business partners but also family, who worked hard throughout 2019 to scale Trendful's online presence. However, 2020 marked a pivotal shift in their journey. While operating as a resale merchant, Jackie and Mailys noticed a glaring technological gap in the market: there wasn't an efficient, end-to-end solution to help merchants acquire inventory directly from their customer-base. This realization led them down the path to developing something bigger than just an online store--it sparked the transition from resale merchant to software company.
The Turning Point: A New Chapter in Resale
In early 2020, the first version of Trendful's Resale App was built. It was designed to help merchants easily acquire pre-owned inventory from their customer-base. By September of that year, Trendful had officially shifted from online merchant to a Software as a Service (SaaS) company, providing innovative tools for resale businesses to thrive.
2021 was a year of rapid growth. The team introduced the Trendful Admin, an admin portal that allows merchants to manage offers, customers, shipping, and payouts all in one place. They also launched a comprehensive Price Database, providing merchants with fair market values for thousands of designer items. That same year, Trendful was proud to be selected for TinySeed's fall 2021 accelerator program, a milestone that marked its potential as a leading SaaS company in the resale industry.
Building for the Future: Continuous Innovation
As Trendful evolved, so did its offerings. In 2022, Trendful released its 1-click payout tools, allowing merchants to easily pay their customers. They also expanded their Resale App to integrate with other eCommerce platforms, such as Wix and WooCommerce.
By 2023, Trendful was focusing on the release of its Inventory Management System. This system empowered clients to list their acquired products directly to their Shopify storefronts through Trendful, streamlining the entire resale process.
2024 marked a new frontier in the company's growth. The release of Trendful Vision, an AI-driven tool, allowed merchants to simply upload photos of items and instantly receive fair market values and market insights. This feature underscored Trendful's committment to staying ahead of the curve in both technology and the resale industry.
The Founders: A Perfect Match--In Business and Family
Behind every successful company is a visionary team, and Trendful is no exception. Jackie de la Parte, CEO and co-founder, has more than a decade of experience in the resale industry and holds a Master's degree from Sotheby's Institute of Art. Her deep knowledge of the luxury resale market has been instrumental in Trendful's success. Mailys Rabot, CTO and co-founder, brings her engineering expertise to the table, with a Master's degree from Georgia Tech and years of experience in technology. But what makes their partnership even more special is the fact that Jackie and Mailys are sisters-in-law. Their close family bond not only fuels their shared vision but also makes Trendful a family-run business.
Together, their complementary skills--Jackie's industry insights and Mailys' technical leadership--have enabled Trendful to grow from a small online store into a leading player in the resale software space.
The Road Ahead
From humble beginnings selling designer pre-owned items to leading the way in resale software innovation, Trendful's journey is a testament to vision, collaboration, and the ability to adapt in a rapidly changing market. As the company continues to grow and innovate, one thing remains constant: a commitment to empowering resale merchants with the tools they need to succeed in the ever-evolving world of commerce.