M&S is opening a new second-hand store, giving shoppers the chance to earn free vouchers for handing in their old clothes.
The retailer is to start selling pre-loved clothing on online marketplace eBay, to help raise money for charity Oxfam.
M&S is opening its own second-hand store on eBay from today[/caption]
From today (August 26), customers will also be given vouchers for donating their old M&S clothes through the new scheme.
To get a free voucher, you must complete a short form on the retailer’s website or scan a QR code in stores.
You can then send any M&S items you no longer want to repair and resale specialist Reskinned – and you won’t have to pay for postage.
If at least one of your items is successfully listed on eBay, you’ll get a free £5 voucher which can be used when you spend £35 in stores or online.
However, you’ll have just four weeks to use your voucher from the date it is issued.
Any items that can’t be resold on eBay will be repurposed or recycled.
M&S will donate 15 per cent of the profits from the new scheme to global poverty charity Oxfam.
Some of the items shoppers will be able to donate include shoes, handbags, belts, hats and scarves.
These items were previously excluded from M&S’s in-store recycling scheme, called “shwopping”, which was launched more than 10 years ago.
It will continue to sell clothes donated through this scheme in its outlet stores.
M&S is one of the most searched brands on eBay, with searches for the popular brand soaring by 525% in the past year alone.
M&S director of sourcing and technology Monique Leewenburgh said: “We are committed to supporting customers to do the right thing and playing our part in reducing textile waste.
“The dedicated resale platform not only offers more ways for customers to give items Another Life, but also an opportunity for customers to purchase items they might have missed from previous seasons, which are pre-loved.”
EBay Europe fashion senior director Kirsty Keoghan said: “For nearly three decades, eBay has partnered with fashion brands to help them sell seamlessly at every stage of the inventory lifecycle, while championing the principles of recommerce and the circular economy.
“Welcoming M&S to the eBay marketplace represents an exciting milestone in our mission to make circular fashion more accessible, appealing, and scalable.”
Other second-hand high street stores
Second-hand clothing has seen a boom in recent years, as it allows shoppers to find good quality pieces on a budget.
And M&S isn’t the only high street retailer where shoppers can find and donate pre-loved clothing.
Primark has a vintage section called Wornwell in some of its bigger stores, where shoppers can find branded and non-branded vintage clothing.
H&M also has a section in some of its larger branches called ‘Pre-Loved in store, where shoppers can find second-hand clothing.
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