M&S launches a dedicated resale platform on eBay

Calling all Vinted Warriors and Depop Demons, from Tuesday 26th, you can officially trade in clothing footwear and accessories through M&S’ first online takeback scheme.

Most of us are doing our best to make David Attenborough proud by making sustainable switches where possible. Certainly explains the rise in the absolute tidal wave of Lime bikes across London streets.

But it looks like Marks & Spencer is trying to do its bit too, launching a dedicated resale platform on eBay to encourage customers to recycle their clothing. Customers can trade in their clothing items (including footwear, and accessories) through M&S’ first online takeback scheme where preloved items are now available to buy.

To use the platform, customers have to complete a short form via its website or scan a QR code in stores before sending pre-loved garms using a free local courier service. The items are sent to Reskinned, a repair and resale specialist. The highest quality M&S items that are suitable to be worn again will be professionally cleaned and where needed, repaired by Reskinned, then listed on the M&S eBay store. Items that have been worn to their threads (we all have a pair of jeans like this) will be responsibly repurposed or recycled, although we don’t quite yet know what that will entail.

For each return that includes at least one M&S labelled item, customers can receive a £5 off voucher for a spend that’s £35 or more. This voucher will be valid across fashion, home and beauty products, although not on any Foodhall items unfortunately, so no stocking up on £35 worth of yellow stickered dishes. The voucher will be valid for four weeks from the date of issue and can be used online. Plus, M&S has confirmed that 15% of any profits will go to Oxfam.

M&S isn’t the first store to launch its own resale platform, joining the likes of Selfridges with its luxury pre-owned section Reselfridges, ASOS’s marketplace, and Zara’s ‘Pre-owned’ platform. However, M&S were the first major retailers in the UK to launch a clothes recycling scheme back in 2008, as part of its Another Life strategy, which focuses on the four Rs: Rewear, Repair, Recycle, and Resale.

So if you do have any old M&S items which are clogging up your wardrobe, now might just be the perfect time for a refresh.

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