What excess inventory is and why reselling it is legal
“How can it be new with tags and cost €9 when the shop price is €60?” It is the first question every reseller asks us. The short answer: the brand can no longer sell it through its own channel and would rather recover part of the cost than destroy it.
Where excess inventory comes from
Every season brands make more than they sell. End-of-season leftovers, cancelled orders from large retailers, collection changes and unworn store returns all become excess inventory.
In Europe an estimated 10 to 30 % of textile production never sells at full price. Brands clear it through outlets, specialist wholesalers and platforms such as Ealyx.
Why the brand sells it so cheaply
Storage costs money, the next collection needs the space, and in the EU the destruction of unsold textiles is increasingly restricted under the Ecodesign Regulation. Selling excess stock to wholesalers is the fastest and most sustainable route for a brand. We buy it in volume and split it into packs by category so a reseller can start with €100.
It is legal, and here is the proof
Reselling genuine products bought legally is lawful in Spain and across the EU under the exhaustion of trademark rights: once a brand has placed a product on the European market, it cannot prevent its resale.
What is not legal is selling counterfeits or removing labels to mislead about origin. At Ealyx every pack ships with a VAT invoice in your company or sole-trader name, and each garment keeps its original label and retail price.
Telling excess stock apart from second hand and fakes
Excess stock: brand and price labels intact, unworn, sometimes with an outlet mark on the inner label. Second hand: no price tag, signs of washing or wear. Counterfeit: labels with errors, uneven stitching, a price far too low for the brand with no explanation of its origin. If a supplier gives you no invoice, walk away.
What to tell your buyer
Be transparent: “New with tags, brand excess inventory, retail €X”. Vinted and Wallapop buyers understand it and value it. The discount on the retail price is your sales argument, not something to hide.
What exactly we sell at Ealyx
Packs by category (dresses, jeans, shirts, outerwear, hoodies, knitwear, kids…) and by tier (Mix, Premium, Luxury, Sport), 100 % new with tags, assorted sizes and styles, with the brands a pack may contain listed on every product page. Separately, we also offer Grade A second-hand lots for those who prefer that model.