Big fashion brands try on a new trend: Selling secondhand clothes

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Major fashion brands are expanding into secondhand clothing, with retailers such as H&M introducing “preloved” collections as the industry faces growing pressure to reduce its environmental footprint
• Rather than only selling new seasonal collections, brands are creating dedicated spaces and platforms for used garments, turning resale into a new part of their business models

🔭 The context: The secondhand market has grown rapidly as consumers become more interested in affordability, uniqueness and sustainability
• Fashion companies are responding by building resale channels themselves instead of leaving the market entirely to third-party platforms
• For brands, secondhand offers a way to extend product lifecycles, strengthen customer relationships and respond to criticism over the environmental impact of fast fashion
• H&M’s dedicated “preloved” section, featuring items ranging from vintage T-shirts to designer garments, illustrates how resale is becoming integrated into mainstream retail rather than remaining a niche market

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Fashion is one of the most resource-intensive consumer industries, generating significant emissions, water use and textile waste
• Extending the lifespan of garments through resale can reduce demand for new production and keep clothing in circulation for longer

⏭️ What’s next: More brands may endevour to invest in circular business models, including resale, repair services and take-back programmes
• The challenge would be proving that these initiatives create genuine reductions in environmental impact rather than becoming another marketing channel alongside continued fast-fashion growth

💬 One quote: “I’d be very happy in my role if I can convert some shoppers to secondhand.” — Sofia Måhlén, H&M circular business models team lead

📈 One stat: H&M is among a growing number of major fashion retailers creating dedicated secondhand resale channels to address the environmental impact of clothing production

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