Yijie Zou | Sneaker Stats: Analyzing Sneakers in The Resale Market

 
Due to low stocks, it is hard for consumers to purchase limited-edition sneakers in the retail market so a large number of consumers would purchase limited-edition sneakers in the resale market. Sneaker prices in the resale market highly rely on the supply-demand relationship; therefore, prices of sneakers in the resale market are usually higher than the retail prices and are fluctuant, which is similar to the stock market. Sneaker resale platforms outside China provide customers with historical data about sneakers such as price trends and trading volume. However, Chinese resale platforms do not want to be involved sneakers with investment, so customers cannot have an overview of the price trend of a sneaker, which is an important reference of their purchase decision.
This project analyzes data of sneakers in resale platforms and provides detailed statistics to help consumers make good decisions. Provided with data like history price trends, consumers can purchase sneakers when their prices are comparatively low. Also, data can indicate the popularity of sneakers and predict their prospect. Moreover, based on the record of the transaction, the application can analyze the possibility of illusory popularity. There are sneaker dealers who massively purchase sneakers and create an illusion that a sneaker is extremely popular. When the price increases, they sell these sneakers at a higher price to earn money. The characteristic of such activity is that the trading volume of a sneaker rises sharply and usually a single buyer purchase a large number of pairs. This is a warning signal for regular consumers because the price will fall sharply after dealers clear their inventory. However, all these features are not provided by resale platforms in China and some of them also cannot be found in platforms outside China. This project’s ultimate goal is to help people purchase their dreaming sneakers at a reasonable price.