Fast fashion retailer H&M is teaming up with online thrift store thredUP to offer resale services to its customers.
Pre-loved clothing items will be on offer across a number of categories, such as sport, denim, and kids, as well as a dedicated "collabs" section, which features items from previous guest designer collections.
The goal is to extend the lifecycle of clothing items and offer customers a more sustainable alternative to fast fashion.
"By working together," reads H&M's website, "thredUP and our partner brands can reach more consumers and recirculate more clothing to make an even greater positive impact on the planet."
How does H&M's resale work?
Titled H&M Pre-Loved, the service lets customers browse the new resale offerings via the retailer's website. From there, you can navigate through different categories and sort according to product type, price, and size, much like the standard H&M online shopping options.
The appeal for pre-loved clothing is no new phenomenon, but it's encouraging to see fast fashion brands like H&M tap into this market. In May 2022, thredUP released a report that estimated the secondhand market reaching $82 billion by 2026.
Further, Forbes found that the average online American shopper spent $340 on resale clothing in 2021, a number that is only expected to rise as consumers' environmental concerns rise and financial pressures increase in the face of inflation.
Resale fashion extends the lifetime of fashion items, reducing the amount of clothing that ends up in landfills, as well as saving you money on new clothing.
Are there similar programs to H&M's Pre-Loved?
There are other ways to shop secondhand fashion, from thrift stores to apps like Vinted and Depop. ASOS also runs its own marketplace, offering secondhand items from customers, often for a lower price than when bought new. Lululemon, Patagonia, and Reformation all offer a range of incentives to trade in your old gear for store credit or cash.
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