Carhartt's Resale Program: Eco-Friendly and Shopper Magnet

In the months since workwear brand Carhartt launched Carthartt Reworked, its trade-in and resale program, Todd Corley has amassed his share of anecdotes from customers. “We get jackets and bibs and overalls from people around the country, with stories about how [they bought their Carhartt garments] for their first job, or that they’ve had it 40 years or it was their father’s.” Perhaps those stories aren’t so surprising, given that the 135-year-old Detroit clothier has long prided itself on its seemingly indestructible jackets, overalls and other blue-collar duds. But here’s something that is surprising—or, at least, worth pondering. Not only has Carhartt’s Reworked program helping the company to meet its sustainability goals—reselling 43,000 items and keeping 68,000 out of landfills—it’s also served, at no extra charge, as a formidable branding and marketing tool. Corley shared his experiences last week at Adweek’s Commerce Week summit during a session dedicated to the rising popularity of apparel brands operating in-house resale programs. Moderated by community editor Luz Corona, the session also featured Gayle Tait, CEO of Trove, the resale logistics platform used by Carhartt and other brands including REI, Canada Goose and Patagonia. To Keep Up With the Customer, Get Personal—With Data It hopefully goes without saying that the primary aim of a trade-in/resale program is an ecological one. At a time when brands (fast fashion ones especially) make 69% of apparel from petroleum-derived, synthetic fibers and 87% of garments sold wind up in landfills, any brand initiative that encourages consumers not to throw their used garments away is doing its part to curb greenhouse gas emissions. But while Carhartt set out to do some good for the earth, it’s also reaped some benefits for itself. As Tait pointed out, resale is a competitive business tool “because the trade-in element is brining your loyal customers back and those customers are engaging with the brand in a qualitative, connecting way.” For example, consumers seeking to return used Carhartt clothing can send it back either via the brand’s dedicated website or by visiting any of the 46 retail locations. Either way, they’ll be interacting with Carhartt, browsing and quite possibility buying other items for themselves. Corley explained that, as an incentive to return their used goods, consumers also receive credit for each item the brand accepts—from $25 for a jacket or coat on down to $10 for a pair of jeans. The company puts those sums onto a gift card that can be applied to a new purchase of Carhartt items. On the flip side, shoppers who purchase the traded-in apparel are paying less than they would for new items. (A Duck Insulated Bib Overall that lists for $109.99 new, for instance, can be bought in “slightly worn” condition for $72.) The lowered price, Tait said, “is another way of opening up the brand to different demographic profiles.” Finally, there’s the burnishing a brand’s image enjoys by virtue of having a resale program at all. A resale program, Corley said, “sits adjacent to other things we do that matter to people, like community inclusion and equity.” He’s referring not only to how resale items are easier to afford for households on a modest budget, but how resale goods allow a broader range of people to participate in ecological stewardship. “The discussion about sustainability may be a different discussion in a community that is filled with resources versus a community that may be in a rural community where they don't,” he said.

Commerce Week

Carhartt's Resale Program's Been Good for the Planet—and Good at Luring New Shoppers, Too

With lower prices for vintage goods, Reworked appeals to new demographic groups

Robert Klara

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Robert Klara