“The RealReal: Shop. Consign. Obsess.” Authentic Luxury Consignment: Case with Brief Instructor’s Note
Casandra Antoine, JP Morgan, Chase AdvarDinur, Herbert Sherman

Abstract
This case with brief instructor’s note opens with a hypothetical story about a women who normally purchases second-hand luxury goods through thrift shops but because of the pandemic has resorted to online shopping. The case then includes a description of her first time ordering through The RealReal, an online consignment-based pre-owned luxury clothing retailer, in order to give the reader a feel for what a consumer’s journey might be like buying from this firm. A depiction of the firm and its marketplace is presented in some detail including: the company’s history, the online consignment industry and industry trends, the firm’s business strategy and its competitors, operations and functional strategies, with some final observations. An exercise then proceeds which requests the students to conduct a preliminary strategic analysis of the case that will constitute the content of a PowerPoint Presentation to include the following items/slides: Macro-environmental Analysis, Industry Analysis, Key Industry Success Factors, Competitive Advantage – Resource Analysis, Value Chain Analysis, SWOT Analysis – Quadrant Placement, Strategic Options and Decision Table. Appendices, including firm financials, and a bibliography are then followed by exercise answers which include basic information per requested slide and slide graphics.

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