Fashion giant Zara is set to launch resale, repair, and donations services in the UK from next month as it looks to promote the principles of a circular economy, media report.
From November 3rd, customers will benefit from an in-store repair offering, be able to organize unwanted clothing donations online or in-store, and make use of a secondhand fashion marketplace for peer-to-peer transactions.
Zara has developed a pre-owned fashion platform of its own that will be accessible via its website and app, whilst it’s also forged a partnership with the charity Red Cross to facilitate donations both in-store and from home.
It marks Inditex’s first foray into the resale market. The Spanish apparel conglomerate – which owns Zara, Pull & Bear, and Bershka, amongst others – is working towards the 2040 target of reaching net zero emissions.
Circular business models such as resale are proving popular amongst brands and retailers in the fashion sector, with a recent report from WRAP estimating that the average Brit has in excess of 115 items of clothing in their wardrobe, more than a quarter of which hasn’t been worn for at least a year.
With such vast quantities of apparel, resale initiatives enable shoppers to cash in on unwanted items. Brands and retailers are thus establishing platforms of their own to take control of sales beyond the initial purchase, something third-party sites like Depop and Vinted have grown to prominence doing.
That said, Zara has indicated that its resale initiative won’t be profitable initially.
Speaking to The Guardian, Paula Ampuero, the brand’s head of sustainability, said that at this stage, this platform is exclusively conceived as a tool to help customers extend the life of their clothing and take a more circular approach.
With regards to clothing donations, Zara started using drop-off bins in 2016 but will build on this to make the service more accessible. From November 3rd, people keen to filter through their wardrobes will be able to arrange pick-ups with the Red Cross.
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