In an industry known for being notoriously wasteful, fast-fashion retailer H&M (HNNMY) -) is taking a bold new step in its efforts towards reducing its environmental impact.
The Swedish fashion giant plans to sell a selection of secondhand clothes and accessories at its Regent Street flagship store beginning on Oct. 5. The collection dubbed “PRE-LOVED”, will include pieces from H&M, a selection of other brands, as well as those from H&M’s sister brands like COS and Weekday.
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Items on offer will include trendy pieces such as metallic dresses and shirts and trench coats, in addition to new items added every day.
The London flagship store is the second to offer secondhand clothing pieces and accessories, as H&M began to offer secondhand choices in its Barcelona flagship earlier this year. H&M also sells secondhand clothes and accessories online in its native Sweden, Germany and the United States.
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The sale of secondhand clothing in brick-and-mortar locations is just part of H&M’s efforts in environmental protection and awareness. In 2010, H&M begun releasing clothing pieces and accessories under its “Conscious” collection, which claims to be made with sustainable fabrics and materials like organic cotton and recycled polyester.
Since 2013, the chain has run a recycling program incentivizing shoppers to recycle used clothing in exchange for coupons. Recently, it partnered with online thrift store thredUP to sell secondhand clothes and accessories to online customers.
TheStreet has reached out to H&M US for comment.
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