Luxury retailer Browns has teamed up with Thrift+, an on-demand donation service and secondhand retail platform, to promote sustainable shopping practices in the UK. This partnership allows customers to easily donate their unwanted clothes and accessories, giving them a new lease on life while also supporting their chosen charity and receiving Browns credit in return. Browns has been focused on introducing various conscious services, including collaborations with The Restory and offering Made to Order and Made to Measure options.
Sustainability and ethical initiatives have become increasingly important for luxury retailers and e-tailers in recent years. Browns’ parent company, Farfetch, is also actively involved in this area. Browns aims to redefine the luxury retail experience and is excited to provide customers with a unique way to engage with fashion that reduces the industry’s impact on the environment and global community. The new service can be accessed through Brownsfashion.com, where customers can order a Thrift+ x Browns donation bag. They can then pack their pre-owned clothing and arrange for a free collection service. Thrift+ takes care of the rest, including photographing the products and listing them online. One third of the sales proceeds will be donated to a charity of the customer’s choice, another third will cover Thrift+ costs, and the remaining amount will be converted into Browns credit.
Ida Petersson, Browns’ buying director, praised Thrift+ for its significant impact in the conscious space. She highlighted the shift in consumer environmental consciousness and the importance of giving clothes a second life through innovative platforms like Thrift+. Petersson noted that Browns’ customers are increasingly focused on environmentally conscious shopping and reselling, and Thrift+ takes it a step further by contributing to charitable causes.
This partnership comes at a favorable time for Browns, as the resale market is predicted to grow 11 times faster than the broader retail clothing sector by 2025, according to GlobalData. Thrift+ itself experienced eight-fold growth in 2020, driven by lockdown wardrobe clearouts, a rising next-generation and inspired demographic, and increasing concerns about the environmental impact of fashion.
While consumers are becoming more conscious in their shopping habits, they also value convenience. Browns highlighted the seamless shopping experience provided by Thrift+, which makes the resale process more appealing and facilitates the transformation of unwanted clothes into secondhand treasures. This aligns with Browns’ commitment to promoting its conscious message, which is central to its ethos.
Thomas Berry, Global Director of Sustainable Business at Farfetch, mentioned that the company had previously collaborated with Thrift+ to launch Farfetch Donate in the UK in 2019 as part of its Positively Farfetch strategy. In its first year, the initiative saw a 600% increase in donations, with nearly 60,000 items being donated in 2020, supporting over 1,000 individual charities. This demonstrates the effectiveness and positive impact of engaging with platforms like Thrift+.
The partnership between Browns and Thrift+ reflects the growing emphasis on sustainability and ethical shopping practices in the luxury fashion industry. Browns aims to provide customers with a way to shop and dispose of their unwanted items in a more eco-friendly manner while also supporting charitable causes. With the expected growth of the resale market and consumers’ increasing concern for the environment, initiatives like this play a crucial role in shaping the future of fashion.
Useful links:
1. Browns x Thrift+ Partnership
2. Thrift+ Official Website
