There are quite a few Madewell stores in New York City, New York and there's a pop-up store in Brooklyn that is now offering an interesting secondhand shopping experience.
For those not familiar with this brand, Madewell has a wide assortment of high-quality jeans, shoes, bags, and clothing for men, women, and everyone in between.
Introducing the Second Floor "Circular Store"
For shoppers who visit the specific store in Brooklyn, they may be in for a mild surprise. As you head up to the second floor of the store, you'll find the "Circular Store".
It contains an assortment of pre-owned Madewell products, such as donated clothing and repaired garments, and even has workshops on how to more appropriately manage one's clothing.
Why They Are Now Offering Secondhand Goods
The reason for offering secondhand goods is simple. Madewell collaborated with a very popular online used clothing retailer called ThredUP and these companies have reason to believe that there is a massive market for gently used goods.
Currently, ThredUP posts and collects thousands of used clothing items and sells them through their online thrift store. Curiously, some of their most popular items have included textiles from Madewell, which caused the two companies to become acquainted with one another in recent times.
Other retail giants have started offering similar services, such as certain branches of IKEA. Also, there is a promising future online collaboration between ThredUP and Walmart.
Previous Collaborations
Previously, in 2019, Madewell and ThredUP worked together to sell used jeans. In 2020, Madewell also began selling used products through their website, which was powered by ThredUP at the time. Taking the plunge to sell ThredUP materials in person is no easy feat, given that many people may receive the news either favorably or not favorably.
How the Temporary Circular Store Benefits Consumers
While the Circular Store is not going to be a permanent thing, it will certainly boost sales for the two major fashion brands, while also keeping the tight budgets of consumers in mind. It will also be an experiment to see how consumers respond to the partnership, especially with how bad the economy is in certain areas.
For now, the plan is to have the Circular Store running until the end of October. Depending on how it does, it may or may not expand to Madewell's other locations in the near or distant future.
Workshops for Customers
When going to the "Circular Store", customers can learn extra tips on how to manage and care for their garments so that their clothing lasts for a considerably longer period of time. Plus, they will learn about the environmental consequences of fashion waste, like unintended pollution to land and water.
Experts from Patagonia will be also brought in too. They will provide workshops on how to repair and upcycle your own clothes, so you could bring your own clothing items that need to be repaired. You might even learn something new.
Also, for those unfamiliar with Patagonia, they are an American clothing company that markets and sells outdoor clothing.
Massive Discounts and Environmentally Sustainable Fashion
Customers can also benefit from the Circular Store by getting a 30% discount on gently used items. Plus, there may be some happiness and conscious relief that this initiative promotes an environmentally sensitive fashion movement.
Instead of accidentally contributing to unnecessary land or water waste, you're using what you currently have and making the most out of it.
Final Thoughts
For now, based on this partnership, ThredUP is the one in charge of processing and acquiring these gently used goods. Meanwhile, Madewell is in charge of in-store merchandising. Whether or not you choose to buy (or not buy) the new or gently used goods is up to you.
However, it seems that retail giants are aware that there is a renewed interest in secondhand goods, especially with how tight some people's budgets are, and how environmentally conscious people are becoming.
In the future, perhaps more New York businesses will work together to increase sales and generate income for those in the area. Only time will tell.