Gap is the latest major brand to form a partnership with thredUP. The way it works is that Gap customers, whether they prefer the Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta, or Janie and Jack – can send in these branded items to ThredUP and get a credit to be applied to new purchases from those brands. The idea is to keep the circular economy of clothing looped into the family brand.
Gap will provide free thredUP clean out bags to its customers in stores as of this April. Customers who usually shop online can also print out their own free shipping labels right now according to emails sent out to customers:
Clicking on that link get your this:
As we saw in The Value of Promoting the Right Values, concern about the huge amount of waste produced by discarded clothing is making some consumers think about whether or not their choice makes sense for the planet. Gap’s establishing its own loop in what it calls “thredUP’s Resale-as-a-Service (RAAS) program” allows its customers to feel they are not turning their back on sustainability.
Accordingly, Mark Breitbard, President, Gap Inc. Specialty Brands, observed in the press release, “As the resale revolution continues to gain momentum, participating in re-commerce is not only good for our planet, but good for business.” He sees this partnership as “offering a sustainable and innovative way to shop for the closet of the future.”