14 Fashion Companies With Their Own Resell Programs, From Carhartt to Lululemon

When it comes to “stuff” — stuff being clothing, furniture, electronics, and pretty much anything else we buy — we humans can be pretty wasteful. We live in a throw-away society, where sending just about anything we are sick of to landfill is the norm, even though it really shouldn’t be. For that reason, one of the most important steps a company can take is becoming circular.

In recent years, more and more companies have launched buyback and resell programs, allowing customers to send their old items back in exchange for money or store credit. Then, the store (after preparing, cleaning, and/or repairing the items) puts them back out for sale in select stores or online. Or, if they are unwearable or unrepairable, the company may recycle the fabric.

Alternatively, some brands have peer-to-peer resale platforms, which allow customers to mail their sold goods to buyers on their own.

Here’s a look into a few of the popular fashion brands that have launched programs like this, helping bring their company one step closer to becoming a closed loop operation.

In September 2021, sustainability-focused clothing brand Outerknown launched Outerworn, a new resale website powered by Recurate, a peer-to-peer resale website. Anyone can shop the Outerworn section online, where you’ll find gently used Outerworn styles at discounted prices.

To sell Outerknown clothing, login to Outerknown’s website, search for the item or find it in your order history, and set a price. Someone will review your submission, and if it gets approved, it’ll go up on the website. Once the item sells, you ship it out, and you’ll receive an Outerknown store credit once the item makes it to its new owner.

“It is important for brands to take ownership of the full life cycle of their garments,” Outerknown CEO Mark Walker said in a statement sent to Green Matters in honor of the launch. “This resale platform is a big milestone in our pursuit of full circularity by 2030."

Outdoor clothing and gear company Patagonia has a program called Worn Wear. The company will take back any Patagonia items that are still in good, functional condition. You can either mail the clothing to Patagonia (with a provided prepaid shipping label) or drop it off at your local Patagonia store. Whether or not the item sells, Patagonia will promptly reward you with a store credit that can be used in stores or on the Patagonia and Worn Wear websites.

On the Worn Wear website, you can shop thousands of secondhand Patagonia clothing items for adults and children, as well as some bags and gear, all at a discount.

Though not technically fashion, beloved furniture and homeware brand IKEA is worth mentioning here.

Over the course of several years, IKEA piloted its Buy Back & Resell Program in stores in nearly a dozen countries as well as many U.S. states. And in April of 2022, IKEA finally expanded the program to all 37 U.S. IKEA stores. As of September 2024, the program is currently unavailable to sellers on IKEA's website; however, you can still shop IKEA's second chance corner on the website and in select stores.

In April 2021, Lululemon partnered with Trove to launch a pilot program called Like New, which was initially a mail-in program for old Lululemon products in exchange for a gift card, as per CNBC. In April of 2022, Lululemon announced that the trade-in program was expanding nationwide, allowing customers to drop off old Lululemon clothing at any of the hundreds of Lululemon stores across the U.S., also in exchange for gift cards.

The company will then "refresh" the items, and customers can shop for the gently used Lululemon gear on the Like New section of the website, typically sold at around half price.

Sustainability-minded designer Eileen Fisher has a resell program called Renew. The scheme invites customers to drop off their old Eileen Fisher clothing — in any condition — at any of her stores, or mail it into one of Eileen Fisher’s recycling centers. In exchange, the company will mail you a $5 rewards card (so for some pricier pieces, you may make a better profit trying to resell them yourself on a secondhand website or at a consignment store).

Specialists will then look at your piece, and allocate it to either being cleaned and resold, recycled, or upcycled into a piece of art. You can shop for Renew pieces on the website, at select Eileen Fisher stores, and at Renew stores.

REI has a trade-in program called Good & Used, in partnership with Yerdle. To participate, customers can send in any gear that was purchased at an REI store (or any item that REI ever sold), even if it's not the REI store brand. After your gear is assessed, you will receive a gift card. The program is run primarily online, as well as in REI's Manhattan Beach Re/Supply Store.

You can also shop REI's Good & Used items, which range from shoes to tents to sleeping bags, on the website.

New York City-based designer Rachel Comey has the peer-to-peer Rachel Comey Resale Shop in partnership with resale platform Recurate. Anyone can list a Rachel Comey piece on the website, and once someone purchases it, just print the mailing label and mail the item out. Anyone can browse the sell section of the website to buy Rachel Comey designer goods at a discount.

The designer actually incorporated her own archived clothing in her New York Fashion Week show in September 2021 — we love to see it.

In late September 2022, Athleta, a women’s athletic and lifestyle brand owned by Gap Inc., announced a partnership with thredUP and Shop Premium Outlets. As of September 2024, the resale platform, Athleta Preloved, lives on thredUP, and invites customers to shop for gently-worn Athleta clothing at a discount.

In February 2023, children and baby wear brand Hanna Andersson unveiled its new Hanna-Me-Downs program, created in partnership with circularity platform Archive.

The program allows Hanna Andersson customers to buy and sell used items from the brand. When listing your preloved Hanna items on the platform, you’ll be able to access all of the brand’s descriptions, information, images, and more, to make the listing process easy. After you make a sale, you can opt for either cash or a gift card to the brand, and the latter option will earn you additional profits.

“Hanna Andersson’s commitment to sustainability and high-quality fabrics makes resale a natural extension for the beloved children’s apparel brand,” Emily Gittins, CEO and co- founder of Archive, said in a statement shared with Green Matters upon the launch of Hanna-Me-Downs. “We’re excited that beautiful Hanna clothes will now be accessible to even more kids and parents.”

In March 2023, Carhartt and Trove announced Carhartt Reworked, which invites customers to trade in used Carhartt apparel for a gift card by bringing their old clothes to Carhartt stores. At launch, the pilot program was only available in six U.S. stores; as of September 2024, it is in all Carhartt stores as well as online.

To participate, your used Carhartt products must be under 10 years old, and have originally cost at least $50. Carhartt sorts through all eligible products dropped off as part of the program, and put them up for sale at a discount on Reworked.Carhartt.com, where anyone can shop. If the clothes are not in good enough condition, they will be sent for fabric recycling.

On March 1, 2023, Juicy Couture unveiled REJUICED, a peer-to-peer resale marketplace powered by Recurate. The platform allows customers to list their preloved Juicy clothing and accessories (with the option to pull from your purchase history, the product catalogue, or create your own listing from scratch). Then, anyone can browse the listings on REJUICED, and purchase preloved Juicy items directly from other customers.

"The launch of REJUICED provides the brand with the opportunity to extend the lifetime of their products while at the same time providing their customers with a streamlined resale process," Recurate's Co-Founder and CEO Adam Siegel said in a statement shared with Green Matters at launch.

And with Juicy Couture having a bit of a fashion renaissance in the early 2020s, now is the perfect time to find your "vintage" Juicy tracksuits from middle school — but whether you decide to sell them on REJUICED or start wearing them again is up to you.

On March 21, 2023, womenswear fashion brand Ulla Johnson partnered with Archive to launch Ulla Johnson PreLoved. The peer-to-peer resale platform allows customers to both sell and shop for preloved Ulla Johnson pieces, as well as shop for various pieces from the namesake designer's personal closet.

The brand also has Ulla’s Archive, which sells items from Johnson's personal closet; all sales proceeds from this program go to the nonprofit Dress for Success.

“We are thrilled to launch Ulla Johnson PreLoved in partnership with Archive and give our customers access to sought-after pieces from seasons past and present, including items from my own closet,” the brand's founder Ulla Johnson said in a statement sent to Green Matters at launch.

In September 2024, Fjällräven and Archive launched Fjällräven Pre-Loved, a peer-to-peer resale platform inviting customers to buy and sell used Fjällräven bags (the company is known for its unique backpacks), clothing, and more. The mission of the program is to make Fjällräven more circular and reduce waste.

"By encouraging the resale of pre-loved items, we reduce waste, conserve resources, and honor the craftsmanship that goes into every Fjällräven piece. It’s not just about making less; it’s about making better and making it last," Nathan Dopp, CEO Americas of Fjällräven, said in a statement shared with Green Matters at launch.

On Oct. 1, 2024, Shay Mitchell's trendy luggage brand BÉIS launched Second BÉIS in partnership with Trove. The platform allows customers to shop used items — including backpacks, suitcases, and totes — on the website along with new items, all in one single checkout.

"We know there are people out there who haven’t been able to try our products yet, and we see Second BÉIS as a new access point to bring them into our community," Adeela Hussain Johnson, CEO of BÉIS, said in a statement shared with Green Matters.

This article, originally published in September 2021, has been updated to include more brands with resale programs, as well as updated information on several brands' programs.