Designer Exchange expands luxury resale in Spain with new Barcelona store

British retail platform Designer Exchange, which specialises in buying and selling second-hand luxury fashion, is strengthening its roots in Spain with the opening of a store in Barcelona. This marks the company's second permanent point-of-sale in the country, where it first launched over 10 years ago.

Founded in 2013 as the independent second-hand fashion resale chain of Computer Exchange (CeX), a company specialising in the resale of electronic products, Designer Exchange opened its first store that same year in the exclusive London neighbourhood of Knightsbridge. This is one of the most affluent areas of the British capital. From there, the newly launched resale platform, driven by entrepreneur Dominic Durante, began its journey. Its objective was to democratise and make accessories and fashion from the most coveted brands and designers more accessible through its unique resale model. The system currently operates through both physical and online channels. Its main unique feature, unlike other platforms, is that it buys products directly from sellers upfront before making them available to its customers. A second key differentiator is that its curated selection of products is available not only online but also through its growing network of physical stores.

Based on this model, by November 2015, Designer Exchange embarked on an initial international expansion strategy, opening its first international store outside the UK. The point-of-sale opened in Madrid at 39 Calle de Lagasca, in the heart of the Salamanca district and the city's so-called 'Golden Mile'. Dominic Durante, co-founder and chief executive officer of Designer Exchange, has acknowledged that Spain was not the platform's initial preference for its international expansion. However, it ultimately prevailed over options like Paris or Milan. This was due to CeX's existing presence and knowledge of the Spanish market, which gave Designer Exchange an advantage in Spain that it would have lacked in France or Italy.

New store in Barcelona

A decade after making that choice, far from regretting it or even trying to explore new markets for physical expansion, Designer Exchange professes to be more than satisfied with the performance of its Spanish store over the past decade. Spain is the only market where they continue to operate offline, alongside the UK, of course. In 2026, the company has decided to accelerate its pace again in these two countries with new store openings.

In the UK, the resale platform added a new point-of-sale in the country early last June with a store opening in Newcastle. This latest addition brings its network to five stores, allowing Designer Exchange to complement its online operations in the British market with offline channels in Manchester; Birmingham; Cheshire; Newcastle; and London, where it has a store in the same Knightsbridge neighbourhood where the platform opened its first establishment in 2013.

Meanwhile in Spain, the platform has just opened its second store in the country, in Barcelona. The company has launched in the city with the aim of replicating the commercial success it claims to have enjoyed for 10 years at its Madrid store, opening a point-of-sale at 230 Carrer del Rosselló. The retail space is strategically located in one of Barcelona's most sought-after shopping districts. Situated on the perpendicular stretch between Rambla de Catalunya and Passeig de Gràcia, Designer Exchange's second-hand offering now shares a retail stage with fashion houses such as Balenciaga, Valentino, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel and Gucci. These labels represent many of the items in Designer Exchange's product base. The company offers clothing, bags, footwear, accessories and jewellery from brands including Hermès, Loewe, Prada and Celine, and promises to rigorously authenticate all products before purchase and sale.

“The response to our Madrid store has been incredibly encouraging, and in response, Barcelona was the natural next step for us,” said Dominic Durante, founder of Designer Exchange, in a statement shared by the resale platform's management. With this opening, “we are delighted to bring the Designer Exchange experience to one of Europe's great fashion cities,” he added. He referred to Barcelona as “the perfect place to continue growing our community” and to advance the goal and commitment of “bringing authentic second-hand luxury to a wider audience.” Following this second store in Spain, Designer Exchange leaves the door open to expanding into new European countries, although no concrete plans have been defined.