Walmart announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with online thrift store thredUp to sell pre-owned clothing. The partnership marks the retailer’s entrance into the resale market.
More than 750,000 items, from all new to “like new,” are now available to purchase from Walmart’s online storefront. Sellers send their items directly to thredUp, which then photographs and lists the items.
In a statement, Denise Incandela, head of fashion e-commerce with Walmart.com, said the retailer had been exploring the partnership for roughly a year and is launching it at a time when many households may have a more limited budget due to the pandemic.
Curated selection
Incandela said that over the last few years, Walmart has made a concerted effort to expand its assortment of “quality, on-trend, accessible fashion” to help consumers find clothing that fits both their personal style and budget.
“The resale prices are outstanding, and we are thrilled to offer our Walmart customers the opportunity to reuse garments,” Incandela said. “Items have been carefully evaluated and selected by thredUP for sale based on their overall quality and condition. Only pre-owned garments and shoes deemed “new” or “like new” by thredUP are available on Walmart.com.”
Nordstrom and Abercrombie & Fitch have also branched out into selling more environmentally conscious clothing. Incandela noted that millennial consumers tend to be interested in making more environmentally conscious clothing choices, so the partnership with thredUp may increase Walmart’s appeal to millennials.
“We know that customers, especially millennials, are interested in shopping resale clothing,” she said. “In fact, according to thredUP’s upcoming 2020 Annual Resale Report, 70% of consumers have bought or are now willing to buy secondhand. This partnership is our latest move to establish Walmart.com as a destination for fashion and offer customers the pre-owned items they might be looking for. We think they’ll be surprised and delighted by what they find, and we’re excited to inspire customers to look and feel their best."