Patagonia is Asking for Your Old Purchases
Patagonia has announced that beginning this April, customers will be able to bring their used Patagonia merchandise to local stores and exchange it for credit to buy new items. The Huffington Post reports Patagonia will then clean, repair and sell the older donated items at discounted prices on its Worn Wear website. The website currently highlights the existing program, which repairs old items so they can be worn longer and kept out of landfills. Rose Marcario, president and CEO of Patagonia (and previous Total Retail Top Women in Retail honoree), said in a company press release, “for every nine extra months a piece of clothing is used, there's a 20 [percent] to 30 percent savings in carbon, water and waste, according to independent research by WRAP UK.”
Total Retail’s Take: Patagonia has made environmental sustainability core to the fabric of its brand. Because of its commitment and promise to the environment, Patagonia enjoys fierce customer loyalty and brand advocacy. This latest announcement comes on the heels of Patagonia donating all $10 million in sales from Black Friday 2016 to grassroots environmental groups.
