Giving Things a Second Life Through Trust, Community, and Circular Living

A special thank you to Space Bangkok for sponsoring this episode, and to Jenn Weidman, whose leadership in supporting meaningful entrepreneurship (including through the WE-Can women’s entrepreneurship program) has helped empower founders across Thailand.

In Episode 27 of The Exponential Show, host Mayank Singh speaks with Louise Blein and Amarine Erbs, co-founders of Yours, a fast-growing platform reshaping how people in Thailand buy and sell pre-loved items. What begins as a conversation about secondhand shopping quickly becomes a deeper discussion about trust, community, and how small shifts in consumer behaviour can create long-term impact.

From Global Lives to a Shared Idea

Both Louise and Amarine are originally from France and have spent much of their adult lives living abroad. Louise built her career in hospitality and marketing, working across cities like London, Hong Kong, and Bangkok, where she also gained exposure to sustainability initiatives within the hospitality industry. That experience sparked a growing curiosity around circular economy models and more responsible consumption.

Amarine’s background is rooted in startups and e-commerce. Having worked as an early team member across multiple startup projects, she developed a strong understanding of online marketplaces and digital consumer behaviour. Over time, both founders felt a pull toward building something of their own.

The idea for Yours emerged not from a business plan, but from a shared personal frustration. After years of moving between countries, they found themselves repeatedly buying new furniture, household items, and clothes, only to sell or discard them when relocating again. Overconsumption felt wasteful and unnecessary, yet existing secondhand options in Thailand often lacked convenience, trust, and safety. A casual dinner conversation turned into a serious question: why was there no simple, secure platform for buying and selling pre-loved items locally?

Solving for Trust in the Secondhand Market

Trust sits at the heart of Yours. Both founders had experienced being scammed when buying items online, which shaped how they designed the platform. Unlike informal marketplaces where buyers and sellers transact directly, Yours acts as a trusted intermediary.

Users register with verified mobile numbers, payments are processed through the platform, and sellers only receive funds once buyers confirm that items have arrived as described. The Yours team also manually reviews listings before approving them, ensuring that items meet quality standards. Personal data such as phone numbers and addresses are never shared between users, with deliveries handled door to door through the platform.

This approach removes much of the friction and anxiety typically associated with secondhand transactions, making the experience feel safer and more accessible, especially for first-time users.

Educating the Market and Building Community

While secondhand shopping is well established in parts of Europe, it is still evolving in Thailand beyond categories like cars and electronics. Louise and Amarine see education as a core part of their role, particularly in helping consumers understand the value of circular living.

They have taken a hands-on approach, showing up at sustainability events, secondhand markets, and community gatherings. By partnering with local artists, upcycling initiatives, and organisations such as Second Chance Bangkok, they extend the idea of reuse beyond commerce into culture. Even their giveaways are sourced from upcycled materials, reinforcing their values at every touchpoint.

Community building starts offline, through face-to-face conversations that build familiarity and trust. That trust then carries over online, where repeat usage has become one of the company’s biggest early wins. Many buyers and sellers return to the platform multiple times, signalling confidence not just in the technology, but in the people behind it.

What Sells and What Still Has Room to Grow

Clothing, furniture, and baby items are natural entry points for secondhand marketplaces, particularly since many of these products are lightly used. Baby items, in particular, represent a strong growth opportunity, as children outgrow clothes and shoes long before they wear out.

Yours has also seen strong traction in books, electronics such as phones and smartwatches, and sports equipment. Electronics show especially high potential, although buyers tend to take more time before committing, reflecting the higher trust threshold for these items.

Accessories and beauty products, on the other hand, have seen less activity so far, suggesting that consumer comfort varies widely by category.

Navigating the Thailand Startup Landscape

Both founders speak candidly about building a startup in Thailand. The ecosystem offers strong community support, frequent networking events, and a willingness among founders to share feedback and connections. However, early-stage fundraising remains challenging, with most investors preferring later-stage opportunities.

At the same time, Louise notes the encouraging rise of women-focused founder communities and support networks, which are helping to level the playing field and create more inclusive spaces for entrepreneurship.

Looking Ahead

Yours is still in its early chapters, but the vision is ambitious. The team plans to expand beyond Bangkok, Pattaya, and Hua Hin, with Chiang Mai next and nationwide coverage as a longer-term goal. Growing the team, deepening product insights, and launching new features are all priorities.

Beyond buying and selling, the founders see Yours evolving into a broader platform for sustainable consumption, potentially including rentals, upcycling services, and new ways to extend the life of everyday items.

At its core, Yours is about more than transactions. It is about changing habits, building trust, and proving that more mindful consumption can be both practical and rewarding.