H&M collaborates with ThredUp for resale initiative and platform, Pre-Loved
Photo: H&M via: Refinery29
Last week, fast fashion giant H&M launched its resale platform called Pre - Loved in partnership with online consignment website ThredUp. This platform will use ThredUp’s Resale-as-a-Service program. This is the brand's first resale initiative in the US market. Pre - Loved includes all of H&M’s past collaborations and their other shops like Divided. It also includes women, men and kids clothing. The resale initiative is a way for H&M’s customers to gain second hand pieces easier and allows the brand to be more sustainable.
Photo: H&M via: Refinery29
This collaboration will be good for H&M and its consumers. In the past H&M has been accused and investigated for Greenwashing (or marking their clothing as sustainable when it isn’t) in the past. It has been reported that the brand produces up to 3 billion garments a year and is a fast fashion brand that has contributed to the overconsumption within the fashion industry. It is hard to say whether this is a genuine effort on the brands part to be better or if this is another greenwashing marketing ploy.
Photo: H&M via: Refinery29
This is good for both ThredUp and H&M because sustainability and thrift shops are growing in popularity and consumers that like H&M and thrift shopping will likely shop with this initiative. It also makes it easier for consumers to shop sustainability. H&M’s head of sustainability for North America, Abi Kammerzell said about Pre - Loved, “As we know with ThredUp, and secondhand, the assortment is changing every single day but at launch we will have 30,000 items. We are making it as easy as possible to shop for our customers,” she said. “What’s so great is not only our designer collaborations but also being able to shop some of our innovative pieces. We don’t want to contribute to a throwaway culture and want items to stay in use in their highest form for as long as possible.”
Photo: H&M via: Refinery29
This resale initiative is the brand's goal of bringing down their carbon emissions and being sustainable. They have already brought down emissions by 22% in 2021. Now, the brand plans on bringing down emissions by 56% by 2030. The brand is aiming to have a more circular business model and stray away from the linear ones they have been using currently. The “Pre-Loved” initiative makes it easier and possible for their customers to thrift shop. Additionally, this is a good marketing initiative for both brands for consumers that enjoy both thrift shops and H&M but do not want to shop their other non sustainable collections. However, as a brand that has greenwashed multiple times in the past, some consumers may be skeptical about this new resale partnership. THe success of this new venture is up to H&M’s consumers. Customers can access this new venture here.
