Luxury brand Burberry has signed a partnership to sell its second-hand products through consignment marketplace The RealReal in the US. As per the partnership, customers will be able to sell their used garments and accessories back at selected Burberry stores in the US. Once the items are received, any necessary repairs or restorative work will be completed before they are put up for resale.
Customers will be able to buy the “pre-loved” items through The RealReal’s online platform or through Burberry’s personal shopping service at stores taking part in the pilot. The partnership comes after The RealReal’s annual report found that resale demand for Burberry brand items through its platform has increased 64 per cent year-on-year in 2019. Most searches through its site and app are made by Millennial and Gen Z shoppers.
If the pilot project, which is due to end on 31 January 2020, is successful, Burberry will explore the possibility of expanding the offering. For the trial, the British brand and The RealReal will make a joint donation to NGO Materials for the Arts, which educates students and the general public around "creative" reuse.
The British brand has offered after-care and repair services to consumers since it was founded in 1856, and last year handled 20,000 requests under these schemes. More recently, it has forged partnerships with handbag brand Elvis and Kresse and recycled materials specialist Aquafil to repurpose its leather offcuts etc.
