Trenbe

Trenbe (styled tren:be, legally trenbe Inc.) is a South Korean luxury commerce company founded in Seoul in 2016. It sells branded bags, jewelry, watches, apparel, shoes, scarves and accessories from labels including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dior, Prada, Burberry and Manolo Blahnik, covering both new and pre-owned items, and ships to customers in 135 countries. Pre-owned inventory is described as verified on video, and product listings on its global storefront are priced in US dollars, with import duties and taxes shown at checkout.

The company holds its own stock rather than operating as a marketplace of third-party sellers, and centres its proposition on in-house authentication: a 20,000 sq ft Authentication Center in Seoul where a full-time internal specialist team, supported by a proprietary AI image-analysis system, inspects items daily, applying the same criteria to new and pre-owned goods. Alongside the website, Trenbe operates the two-floor tren:be Gangnam Center in Seoul, which holds roughly 10,000 authenticated pieces (bags, jewelry and watches on the first floor; apparel, shoes and a consignment centre on the second) and is open daily from 10:00 to 21:00. The name is a blend of "trend" and "be". The company also runs a storefront on eBay.

Founding story

The company started in Seoul in 2016 as a small team focused on a single problem: buying luxury online meant trusting a stranger. Its response was to authenticate goods in its own centre, hold its own stock, run its own store and publish its corporate identity. The tren:be name blends "trend" and "be", reflecting the idea that aspirational pieces should be within reach.

Business model

Trenbe operates a first-party online and offline luxury retail model: it acquires and holds its own inventory of new and pre-owned luxury goods, authenticates each item in its own Seoul facility before dispatch, and sells directly to consumers through its Korean and global websites, an eBay store, and a physical store in Gangnam, Seoul, which also houses a consignment centre.

Revenue comes from direct sales of authenticated new and pre-owned luxury goods to consumers, sold at listed retail and sale prices, with duties and taxes collected at checkout on international orders; a consignment centre operates at the Gangnam store.

Traction

The company reports cumulative transaction volume of more than $1 billion, more than 250 staff across Seoul, Tokyo and New York, service to 135 countries, and about 10,000 authenticated items held at its Gangnam store. Its eBay storefront shows 98.8% positive feedback, roughly 4,900 items sold and about 5,100 followers.

Latest developments

The global storefront is running seasonal merchandising, including a curated bag edit, Burberry-focused autumn selections and category pages for shoulder bags, tote bags, jewelry, watches and scarves, with pre-owned items verified on video.