Selfridges’ Move to Increase Resale, Repair, Rental, and Refills

U.K. department store chain Selfridges is putting sustainability front and center. It says by 2030, nearly half of its customer interactions should be based on resale, repair, rental, or refills.

Dubbing the circular initiative “Reselfridges,” the four-location chain wants to change the way consumers shop.

“We have got to commit to a significant and fundamental shift in the way we do business and use the platform of Selfridges for change,” Andrew Keith, Selfridge’s managing director, told the Guardian.

Changing consumer habits

The chain is aiming to capitalize on the growing interest in resale, citing the success of platforms including Depop in the U.K. and The RealReal in the U.S. Secondhand fashion is expected to outpace sales of fast fashion in the coming years.

U.S.-based department store chain Neiman Marcus has seen tremendous success with its Fashionphile partnership. The reseller, which focuses mainly on luxury bags, has set up shops inside select Neiman Marcus stores as well as a flagship Manhattan location.

Selfridges increased its secondhand purchases by 240 percent last year. It also made more than 28,000 repairs—more than one-third of those were on shoes. Rental is also an up-and-coming area of focus, more than 2,000 rented items last year. It also sold more than 8,000 refillable products.

Supporting the consumer shift

“The important thing is encouraging people to think how they can extend the life of a product,” Keith said.

The chain will offer repair services outside of London, Keith said, and consumers will be able to more easily book repair services online.

“We are enabling customers to add life into their wardrobes above and beyond buying new.”

The news comes as King Charles III is ascending to the throne following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Charles has long advocated for sustainable fashion, particularly in repair. Last year he set up a clothing repair shop in his Dumfries House in Scotland.