High street fashion retailer Zara is set to launch a new “Zara Pre-Owned” platform offering repair, resale and donation services in UK stores, online and via its app, in a bid to cut its carbon footprint.
From 03 November, customers will be able to book a range of repair services for their Zara goods including the replacement of buttons and zippers and mending of seams. Shoppers can access the repair service online or at a Zara store of their choosing.
Zara’s customers can also post pre-loved Zara purchases online for sale. Sellers will be required to take pictures of their goods but the detailed product information will be provided by Zara.
The Spanish retailer will run the sales platform via its website and app, with payment handled by the Stripe system. Buyers’ details will be passed on when a sale has been agreed so the goods can be sent by the seller.
Furthermore, the new platform will enable customers to request that used clothing be collected from their home for donation.
Similar to the already-available donation containers in all Zara stores across the UK, online donations of garments will go to the Red Cross, an organisation that gives products a new life by reusing or recycling them in support of the development of projects in local communities. This service is for clothing from any brand.
It is understood that the pre-owned service is not expected to be profitable initially. “At this stage, this platform is exclusively conceived as a tool to help customers extend the lifetime of their clothing and take a more circular approach,” explained Paula Ampuero, the head of sustainability at Zara.
Zara becomes the latest retailer to join the resale movement. Joules has partnered with Reskinned to enable its customers to buy any pre-loved and repaired Joules clothing that have been taken back, removing the possibility that items end up in landfill. Running brand On introduced its resale programme in September, while department store Selfridges aims for half of its transactions to be resale, repair, rental or refills by 2030.
