When it comes to pre-loved apparel, luxury products steal the limelight, on platforms such as The RealReal and Fashionphile. But Carhartt, in partnership with Trove, the market leader in branded resale, is expanding its pre-worn program. Founded in 1889, Carhartt manufactures durable gear that’s meant to last a lifetime.
Carhartt Reworked is the the first branded resale site in the workwear industry, dedicated to extending the life of apparel, reducing clothing waste, and keeping previously worn and slightly imperfect clothing out of landfills.
While trade-in have only been possible through stores, Carhartt will begin accepting mail-in products. Since launching in March of last year, Carhartt Reworked has engaged with over 22,500 working people across all 50 states in the U.S. The Detroit-based brand has extended the life of more than 43,000 garments and kept more than 68,000 products out of landfills, the company said.
“With Trove’s industry-leading expertise and ability to process millions of items efficiently via its Recommerce Operating System, we anticipate the program continuing to grow,” said Gretchen R. Valade, director of sustainability at Carhartt. “We’re excited to see what the future has in store and how many garments we can extend the life of.
“From the beginning, we’ve used top-notch materials and the finest craftsmanship to create gear that’s durable and meant to last,” Valade said. “We see gear come back to us in various conditions through Carhartt Reworked. Before we post items and make them available for purchase, our team of experts thoroughly inspects and reviews each item and makes all needed repairs or refurbishments.”
New men’s relaxed fit duck bib overalls cost $89.99 to $99.99. The price for the same used product is $59 to $70, about a 33% discount.
Trove, which works with brands such as Patagonia, Lululemon and Levi’s, among others, is launching digital trade-in as the next phase in its partnership with Carhartt, enabling a broader reach through Reworked.Carhartt.com.
Gayle Tait, CEO of Trove, said the company’s Recommerce Operating System offers end-to-end item intelligence to deliver profitable and sustainable growth at scale for leading brands.
“With Trove, Carhartt continues to maintain and nurture its relationship with its customer,” Tait said. “Unlike third-party marketplaces or peer-to-peer resale, Carhartt will continue to provide a fast and easy experience and maintain customer interaction with its community via the Reworked program.”
Trove, which is venture-backed, recently completed a $30 million Series E fund raise, bringing its total funding to over $150 million since its inception. The Series E was co-led by Wellington Management and ArcTern Ventures, with participation from G2 Venture Partners, Prelude Ventures and other existing Trove investors.
Trove continues to expand through new enterprise partnerships, for example, recently launching resale web sites for Filson Unfailing, Cotopaxi Mas Vida, Brooks ReStart, and Canada Goose Generations.
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The secondary apparel market was valued at $211 billion last year, according to Statista, which estimates it will reach $351 billion by 2027. Luxury is the biggest sector, with demand far exceeding supply. But is there a bottomless pit of luxury products available for worldwide distribution through resale platforms?
Experts say, yes. In the meantime, lower-priced brands are getting into the act. Due to the nature of Carhartt’s business, some products have to be retired, rather than sold. “We’ve had people bring us garments that are too damaged to repair and resell,” Valade said. “In those instances, consumers have the option of allowing Carhartt to properly repurpose the item to help keep apparel out of landfills.”
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