H&M US to launch second hand service with ThredUp

Fashion retailer H&M US announced it has teamed up with ThredUp to launch its first resale scheme for the US market called “H&M Pre-Loved”.

Via ThredUp’s Resale-as-a-Service (RaaS) program, the brand further pushes its efforts to establish circularity for itself and its customers by offering them easy access to second hand pieces that are still in good condition.

The “H&M Pre-Loved” online shop will be available from March 14. Offered items will be categorised into “&Denim, "Sport ","Ladies ","Divided ", and “Kids”, which correlate to the retailer’s classic departments and might be familiar to consistent shoppers. Additionally, consumers will be able to purchase products from the “Collabs” sub shop, which will include items from memorable collaborations and guest designer collections.

CEO and Founder of ThredUp, James Reinhart, said in a press release: "As one of the largest retailers in the world, H&M's impact potential is tremendous, and we are pleased that ThredUps's RaaS is powering a scalable resale program to reach H&M's customers in a new and sustainable way."

H&M said its intention is to dismantle linear business models which are the norm in the fashion industry and to elongate the products’ lifes by introducing a circular business model.

“We need to take responsibility for the impact fashion has on climate and the environment. Circular business models can help us reduce and limit this negative impact, while continuing to deliver fashion and style for our customers”, explains Abigail Kammerzell, head of sustainability at H&M North America.

Other circular acts initiated by H&M are its garment collecting program enacted in 2013 and its digital hub, called “H&M Take Care”, a guide on its website to educate consumers on how to take care of their garments in order to prolong their wear time.

On top of that, the company became a majority owner in second hand retail platform Sellpy in 2019 , aiding in the company’s swift growth over the last years.