When it comes to revolutionising the secondhand economy, Nate Spiteri is leading the charge. As the founder of Shopfront, an AI-powered platform designed to save sellers hours by automating the listing process across platforms like Depop, eBay, and Etsy, Nate is no stranger to the challenges of selling. With a background in financial services and a deep passion for secondhand fashion, Nate brings both technical expertise and firsthand experience as a seller to the table. Backed by heavyweights like Paul Greenberg and Antler Residency, Nate’s mission is simple: to make secondhand selling seamless, scalable, and accessible.
Beyond saving time for sellers, Shopfront is also driving real change in the circular economy, helping to reduce waste and promote sustainability. With Australians throwing away 23 kilograms of clothing per person each year and the secondhand market valued at over $200 billion globally, Nate and Shopfront are paving the way for a more sustainable future—one listing at a time.
Finding Gold in Secondhand Fashion
For Nate, secondhand shopping isn’t just a business venture—it’s personal. Almost 90% of his wardrobe comes from platforms like Depop and eBay, reflecting his love for sustainability and unique finds. He even admits to being sentimental about some of his favourite secondhand gems.
I bought a pair of Jordans—they’re called the Mocha Jordans—and I just don’t wear them. I open the box and look at them now and again, but I wouldn’t even sell them even though they’re still quite valuable.
This personal connection to the secondhand economy drives the authenticity behind Shopfront’s mission. “I try to recycle my wardrobe as much as possible, especially when I was in London where things were so expensive,” Nate explained.
For Nate, secondhand isn’t just about the items—it’s about the stories, the sustainability, and the opportunity to make pre-loved goods accessible for everyone. That passion fuels Shopfront’s mission to empower sellers and bring more people into the secondhand economy.
Inspiration from Unexpected Places
When it comes to retail inspiration, Nate doesn’t look to flashy brands or global giants. Instead, his admiration lies with a surprising choice: Salvos (The Salvation Army). Known for their commitment to sustainability, Salvos has stepped into the e-commerce world with creativity and determination, even launching their own thriving Depop store—a move that caught Nate’s attention.
“They’re driving a lot in e-commerce and trying to build their own store. They’ve now got a Depop store that is actually thriving. It’s got a lot of followers, and they’re making quite regular sales,” Nate shared.
What stood out to him wasn’t just their presence online, but their willingness to innovate in a space often dominated by fast fashion brands and traditional retailers. “I just didn’t think charity shops typically would invest a lot of time in the space, but yeah, they’re actually quite innovative in the way they’re trying to build their business beyond just the stores,” Nate explained.
This ability to adapt and thrive in the modern retail environment is something Nate both admires and strives to emulate with Shopfront.
The Tech That Keeps Him Moving
When it comes to Nate’s tech stack, he admits to keeping things simple, relying on tools that get the job done without unnecessary complexity. But recently, Nate has added a new tool to his arsenal that’s been a game-changer: PostHog.
PostHog is proving to be a really good analytics tool. It’s better than Google Analytics because it lets you watch people’s activity on the website, showing what’s working and what’s not working.
PostHog has allowed Nate to dive deeper into user behaviour, providing actionable insights that inform how Shopfront’s website is optimised for its growing customer base.
While Nate isn’t the technical co-founder at Shopfront, he is the first to admit he occasionally pushes his technical co-founder, Drew, to the brink with ambitious feature requests. “I always oversimplify things—like, can’t we just do this? And my co-founder’s like, that’ll take three weeks! I’m learning not to be that guy anymore,” Nate joked, highlighting the balance between vision and execution in a startup environment.
While Nate relies heavily on simple staples like Slack, Gmail, and LinkedIn for day-to-day communication, he’s constantly on the lookout for tools that can improve workflows and streamline processes.
Stories in Pages and Podcasts
For Nate, inspiration comes from the written word, where a mix of fiction and philosophy fuels both personal growth and creative imagination. Two of his favourite books, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and Babel by Rebecca Kuang, perfectly reflect his dual interests in self-discovery and fantasy.
The Alchemist is one of my favourites—I’ve read it a couple of times. It’s really helped me personally.
As a founder navigating the ups and downs of building a business, Nate’s connection to the book’s message of perseverance and self-belief is clear.
He also enjoys immersing himself in creative worlds, as is the case with Rebecca Kuang’s Babel. “Babel is this incredible fantasy book that’s like a different version of Harry Potter. I loved it,” he said, pointing to its imaginative storytelling and fresh take on the genre. For Nate, books aren’t just a pastime—they’re a way of imagining new possibilities.
The Checkout is a short snippet of our conversations.
