Iconic Swedish kids clothing brand Polarn O. Pyret – or PO.P as it is known across the Nordics and beyond – is claiming to be the only major fashion brand to embed re-commerce into its core business model by offering second hand ‘in house’ as a brand service.
Building PO.P Second Hand as a brand service offering, sees PO.P creating a go-to destination for buyers and sellers of PO.P pre-loved. Currently re-commerce models tend to see brands to externalise their second hand offer to third party resellers.
While many brands are recognising the commercial opportunity of second hand, models that simultaneously receive second hand back into the brand ecosystem and sell directly back to customers remain a rarity.
With a long-standing vision that every piece of PO.P clothing is owned by at least three children, PO.P says that its Second Hand offering is not only the ultimate proof point for a value proposition rooted in longevity , it’s also a clear commitment to guaranteeing the vision’s delivery.
And the results so far speak for themselves. The ground-breaking service experienced unprecedented interest during a trial with outerwear last year. 95% of items sold out within just five days giving the brand confidence to extend the service across its entire range. Since a September ‘soft launch’ customers have been able to trade in any second hand PO.P item, no matter where it was purchased.
Customer insights from a recent brand survey revealed that nearly one third of PO.P customers already regularly shop pre-owned childrenswear through other channels, but less than a fifth regularly sell – with many stating there is too much hassle involved, from taking pictures (45%) to arranging postage (54%).
Taking full ownership of the inventory has meant PO.P has full control of the brand experience, and is able to tackle these barriers head on.
With no photos required, free shipping for sellers, free returns for buyers, Ozone cleaning and repair all taken care of, plus a transparent voucher system for traded-in items redeemable against ALL kids clothes, new or used, you can see why PO.P Second Hand is already flying off the virtual shelves. And now the brand will be able to leverage the service to bring new customers to the brand and drive loyalty.
PO.P UK MD Mats Nilsson says: “PO.P already leads the way with a sustainability mindset baked into how we do business. We really care about the clothes we produce, and Second hand is the obvious next step for us. But it’s also really important that we take full ownership of the experience for customers. The only way we can do that and truly build brand value through second hand is to take full ownership of our products.”
He continues: “It’s what customers want, and it’s what the planet needs. But there’s being seen to be doing second hand and there’s really DOING second hand. We’re putting our money where our mouth is and are investing in building a profitable resale model that helps us manage our impact as we grow the PO.P brand here in the UK.”
Praising the significant development, Gerrard Fisher, Founder of QSA, a leading light in circular business modelling in the fashion industry with clients such as Depop, ReLondon and FarFetch adds: “This is real category leadership by Polarn O. Pyret. Giving equal value to second hand product by integrating it into the core brand ecommerce platform is a game-changer for customers. It’s not only a great way for a brand built on longevity to make the most value from what they produce, selling used clothing is also an essential part of an authentic sustainability programme. Second hand items have a substantially lower carbon footprint than new.”
