M&S launches resale on Ebay and extends recycling scheme

British retailer Marks & Spencer has launched a dedicated resale store on marketplace platform Ebay, which will allow shoppers to trade in and buy back pre-loved M&S clothing, footwear and accessories, as demand for pre-loved fashion continues to soar.

The launch is the latest initiative under Another Life, which is how M&S activates its Plan A sustainability strategy in fashion, home and beauty. Another Life brings together M&S’ approach to circularity into one place with a focus on the four R’s: rewear, repair, recycle and resale.

The dedicated resale store will be powered by Reskinned, which offers M&S expertise in garment repair, resale and recycling, to extend the lifecycle of M&S garments and reduce textile waste, as the retailer looks to bring everything together in one easy, online experience for customers to recycle and repurchase.

Monique Leewenburgh, director of sourcing and technology in fashion, home and beauty at M&S, said in a statement: “At M&S, we are committed to supporting customers to do the right thing and playing our part in reducing textile waste. We’re delighted to be partnering with the pre-loved experts at Ebay and Reskinned to launch a dedicated resale platform.

“This not only offers more ways for customers to give items Another Life, but also an opportunity for customers to purchase items they might have missed from previous seasons – which are pre-loved.”

M&S teams up with Reskinned to power resale on Ebay and extend take-back programme

Pre-loved and refurbished make up 40 percent of Ebay’s gross merchandise volume (GMV), and in the last year, M&S was amongst the top three most searched-for women’s fashion brands on Ebay UK, with the retailer seeing its searches increasing by 525 percent in the last year alone.

This new partnership will allow customers to shop pre-loved styles as well as trade in M&S items they no longer wear, as by utilising Reskinned’s brand-integrated take-back and resale solution, M&S customers will be able to send in unwanted footwear, handbags, belts, hats and scarves, which were previously excluded from M&S’ in-store clothes recycling scheme.

To access the resale service, customers have to complete a short form on M&S.com or scan QR codes in M&S’ fashion, home and beauty stores, then send their pre-loved items using a free local courier service to Reskinned.

For each return that includes at least one M&S-labelled item, customers receive 5 pounds off a spend of 35 pounds or more on fashion, home, and beauty products online at M&S.com (valid for four weeks from date of issue).

Items that can be worn again are professionally cleaned, repaired and listed by Reskinned on the M&S x Ebay store. For those items that can’t be resold, the retailer states they will be “responsibly repurposed or recycled”.

For the items traded in through the M&S in-store recycling scheme, they will now either be sold in Oxfam’s stores or online shop, recycled by Oxfam, or sent to Reskinned to be resold on the M&S x Ebay store, with 15 percent of profits from every item sold going to Oxfam.

Kirsty Keoghan, general manger of European fashion at Ebay, said: “For nearly three decades, Ebay has partnered with fashion brands to help them sell seamlessly at every stage of the inventory lifecycle, while championing the principles of recommerce and the circular economy.

“M&S is a beloved British institution, known for its enduring quality and style, and a staple in wardrobes across the UK. Welcoming M&S to the eBay marketplace represents an exciting milestone in our mission to make circular fashion more accessible, appealing, and scalable.”

Matt Hanrahan, co-founder of Reskinned, added: “At Reskinned our mission is to maximise the lifespan of clothing. We’re making it easy for brands and their customers to rehome unwanted clothes, whether that’s reselling, repairing or if it’s end-of-life recycling it responsibly. We’re determined to create a more sustainable clothing future for us all.”