Business
Can Fast Fashion Fit Into Secondhand Clothes?
Welcome back. Big fashion retailers are leaning further into secondhand clothing to drive fresh sales growth, score sustainability credentials and generate brand buzz, Clara Hudson reports this morning for The Wall Street Journal.
- Banana Republic recently launched limited-edition drops featuring pieces from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s.
- Reformation expanded its “preloved” section, where it sells vintage items from brands including Prada and Bebe alongside its own styles.
- H&M has rolled out roughly a dozen secondhand pop-ups in recent years, including new SoHo, Stockholm and Vienna locations.
“A lot of this is about the customer, but it’s also good business sense,” said Sofia Måhlén, team lead of circular business models at H&M. The resale market is growing faster than conventional retail, she said.
Still, the top-line impact remains modest: Resold items accounted for just 0.8% of H&M’s total sales revenue in 2025, including the company’s other brands and investments.
I asked Clara how marketers are balancing traditional high-volume business models with secondhand strategies.
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