Fashion retailer H&M U.S. announced today the launch of H&M Pre-Loved, a new branded shop offering secondhand garments, and marking the company’s first resale business model in the U.S.

The launch of the new joint venture follows a series of initiatives by H&M Group to improve fashion circularity, including establishing the first global garment collecting initiative by a fashion company in 2013, and investing in companies that develop technologies to enable textile recycling through its investment arm H&M CO:LAB. Last month, H&M Group and waste management and recycling company Remondis launched “Looper,” a joint venture aimed at developing infrastructure and solutions to collect and sort used and unwanted garments and textiles in Europe to enable resale and recycling.

In a statement announcing the launch of H&M Pre-Loved, the company said that the new shop continues its “sustainability mission of establishing circular business models for itself and customers.”

Abigail Kammerzell, Head of Sustainability, H&M North America, said: 

“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. With the launch of our first resale model in the U.S. market, we’re taking the next big step in that direction.”

Utilizing “Resale-as-a-Service (RaaS)” platform thredUP, the new online shop (at hm.thredup.com), the new online store is organized by smaller shops aligning with H&M concepts including &Denim, Sport, Ladies, Divided and Kids, as well as a “Collabs” shop featuring collaborations and guest designer lines from prior years.

James Reinhart, CEO and Co-Founder of thredUP, said:

“As one of the largest retailers in the world, H&M’s impact potential is tremendous, and we are pleased that thredUP’s Resale-as-a-Service is powering a scalable resale program to reach H&M’s customers in a new and sustainable way.”

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