You know when you’re thrifting and you find the perfect pair of jeans? You’ve been sifting through countless pairs, holding them up against your legs for size, comparing dark washes to lighter ones. And now your diligent work has paid off! You have found a new fave to add to your wardrobe, and you were able to snag a deal in the process.
It’s such a win.
Levi’s SecondHand, an online store that will buy back and resell denim pants and jackets, wants to make it easier for shoppers to recreate that thrill. With a variety of factors to help narrow the search (like gender, waist size, length, condition, and fit), you can find exactly what you’re looking for in just a few clicks.
How does it work?
Let’s say you have a Levi’s jacket or pair of jeans that you want to trade in. You can take your clothing item to a participating Levi’s store, and you will receive a gift card in exchange. Depending on the quality of your item, you could receive anywhere from $5 to $35. Then, the garment is cleaned before it is listed online.
The fashion industry is wasteful. According to ThreadUp, 64% of the 32 billion garments produced each year end up in a landfill. By extending the life of a garment, Levi’s is hoping to keep more jeans in rotation, and in doing so, keep them out of landfills.
And if that’s not enough, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions. That’s more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
“Buying a used pair of Levi’s saves approximately 80 percent of the CO2 emissions, and 1.5 pounds of waste, compared to buying a new pair,” said Jen Sey, Levi’s chief marketing officer, in a Vogue interview. “As we scale this, that will really start adding up.”
From a business standpoint, how does Levi’s SecondHand make sense?
The resale market already exists. Levi’s denim is sold in thrift stores, but also on platforms like Etsy, eBay, Poshmark, and Depop. And Levi’s isn’t even the first brand to jump on the secondhand market. Patagonia and A.P.C. have made similar strides, and secondhand is expected to double market share in 10 years. By creating an online store, Levi’s is able to reclaim ownership of their market which puts them in an optimal position for even greater growth.
What else does Levi’s Secondhand store offer?
There’s so much to love beyond pants and jean jackets. On Levi’s SecondHand website, you can also find style tips, tailoring tutorials, and other info about what’s trending. You can totally use the website to search for the ultimate pair of worn-in jeans, but be sure to take advantage of its other offerings as well!
“We want to make Levi’s Secondhand second nature,” Sey stated in the same Vogue interview. “This launch is the first step, but definitely not the last one.”