Inside H&M's Strategy to Become a More Sustainable Organization

As Total Retail reported last week, H&M launched a resale program in collaboration with thredUP. “H&M Pre-Loved” offers shoppers an easy way to find secondhand pieces for their wardrobes. The new shop also continues the retailer’s sustainability mission of establishing circular business models for itself and customers.

To learn more about its new resale program, Total Retail connected with Abigail Kammerzell, head of sustainability, H&M North America, for an email interview.

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

Total Retail: Why has H&M invested in a resale shop?
Abigail Kammerzell: We know our customers are increasingly eager to shop secondhand. We’ve tested resale in other markets in Europe and Canada, and we felt the time was right to test a model here in the U.S. With H&M Pre-Loved, powered by thredUP’s RaaS model, we’re able to expose both new and existing customers to a circular business model while maintaining the fun of fashion and finding the perfect piece for their wardrobe.

TR: What about thredUP's RaaS made it the right platform for H&M?
AK: We wanted to make a convenient and accessible option for customers to shop secondhand. Through its managed marketplace, thredUP has made it easy to buy and sell secondhand, so we knew it was the perfect choice for us to test resale in the U.S. market.

TR: How does a resale shop fit into H&M's overall sustainability mission?
AK: Circular business models (CBMs), such as resale, can help us reduce and limit negative impact, while continuing to deliver fashion and style for our customers. H&M Pre-Loved builds upon H&M’s commitment to sustainability by giving our customers new ways to experience and engage in circular fashion and encouraging others within the industry to do the same.

Our ambition is to achieve net-zero CO2e emissions by 2040, and becoming circular throughout our business is key to achieving these aims. By making it easy for our customers to experience and engage in circular fashion, we can keep products and resources in our ecosystem for longer. We align with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s vision for a circular fashion industry in order to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials at their highest value, and regenerate nature.

TR: What are the types of products that will be available on H&M's Pre-Loved shop?
AK: H&M Pre-Loved will sell women and kids clothing as well as accessories, divided into sub shops including &Denim, Sport, Divided, Ladies, Kids, Collabs. Probably most exciting to fans of the brand will be the “Collabs” sub shop, featuring pieces from our many celebrated collaborations and guest designer lines from years past.

TR: How will the fulfillment of H&M Pre-Loved orders be handled?
AK: thredUP will be solely responsible for the fulfillment and shipment of all valid customer orders from the H&M Pre-Loved Shop.

TR: What are the metrics that H&M will be tracking to measure the success of its resale program?
AK: We've implemented resale in other markets and are using H&M Pre-loved, powered by thredUP’s RaaS, as a test in the U.S. market. We're looking at customer needs and trying out new formats that meet them. So we will continue to test and learn along the way.