We sell and buy Zara pieces there, exclusively.
Here is the idea of the new second-hand service that the Spanish fast fashion giant is about to offer.
In principle, Zara customers will be able to sell old clothes and buy archive pieces from the brand launched in 1975. The platform will first be open in the United Kingdom, before being extended to other markets.
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As
Business of Fashion
details , the procedure should be as easy as can be.
Like Vinted, sellers will take photos of the pieces to be resold, which they will upload to the resale platform developed by Zara.
Following this, the items will appear in a catalog and when someone makes the purchase, the contact details of the buyer will be transmitted to the seller who will return the clothes himself.
Operation
greenwashing
?
The advantage of this new platform is twofold.
First, it will allow latecomers who have missed out on a favorite to purchase pieces from previous collections at reduced prices.
Then, it will promote the circular economy.
Enough to call for sober and responsible consumption, while reducing waste from the textile industry.
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Nevertheless, the announcement was met with mixed feelings.
Some are not fooled and denounce a “greenwashing” operation.
If Zara launches into the second-hand market, it is not out of ecological conviction.
Especially when you know that the production of fast fashion is harmful to the environment.
According to the Ademe (Environment and Energy Management Agency), the textile industry - the third most water-consuming sector in the world after the cultivation of wheat and rice - emits 1. 2 billion tons of greenhouse gases each year.
This represents up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
So, inevitably, this new service offered by Zara makes more than one wince.
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The second hand, a flourishing market
But why bet on the second hand?
The answer is simple: the sector makes money.
In France, the vintage market continues to grow.
In 2020, it already represented more than seven billion euros in turnover, including more than one billion just for fashion.
According to estimates by ThredUp, one of the largest American resale platforms, by 2027, second-hand clothing sales should even exceed those of the major fast fashion brands, and above all generate up to 20% of the income of a luxury company (Bain & Company figures).
Faced with this observation, luxury houses like fast fashion brands have changed their tune and are now investing massively in second-hand.
Shein, for example, announced Monday, October 17 to launch Shein Exchange, its platform for the exchange and resale of second-hand products between individuals.
The pilot version, available only on the American market, is accessible on the brand's application.
"At Shein, we believe it's our responsibility to build a fair fashion future for everyone, while accelerating solutions to reduce textile waste," said Adam Whinston, head of the CSR department. companies), cited by
Fashion Network
.
“By tapping into the reach and influence of our growing community, we believe reselling purchases can become the new normal in our industry,” the e-tailer continues.
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Problem: the day of this announcement, a documentary broadcast by Channel 4 highlighted the very low wages of its workers and the poor working conditions in the factories of the Chinese giant of ultra fast fashion.
The workers do not have a fixed salary, and some of them are only paid 0.27 yuan (4 euro cents) per garment, and in case of errors, salary deductions are made.
Case to follow.