Walmart is Getting in on the Secondhand Market

The secondhand clothing market has been exploding of late, with high-end brands like Burberry and Stella McCartney increasingly investing in resale. But it’s not just the luxury end of the spectrum that’s expanding its investment in pre-owned clothing: Walmart just announced that it, too, is getting in on the action.

“We know that customers, especially millennials, are interested in shopping resale clothing,” wrote Walmart’s U.S. E-commerce Head of Fashion Denise Incandela in a blog post.

On Wednesday, the low-price mass retailer announced a new partnership with Thredup, an online destination for buying and selling secondhand clothing. Through the partnership, customers will be able to shop for Thredup-sourced pieces through a special portal on Walmart.com.

Over 750,000 secondhand women’s and children’s items spanning categories like clothing, accessories, footwear and handbags will be shoppable on the site, according to Incandela. All the items listed will reportedly be “like new” or “gently used,” with free shipping available on orders of $35 or more, and free returns available at Walmart stores and on Thredup.com. And though the partnership is aimed largely at mass-market shoppers, the range of brands available will go beyond just the brands shoppers are used to finding at Walmart.

“From Calvin Klein and Nike to Coach and Michael Kors, this digital partnership enhances Walmart’s fashion offering with fresh brands at amazing prices that their customers will love,” says director of product management at Thredup Jenn Volk.

Secondhand shopping is, of course, nothing new for price-conscious shoppers. But non-profit thrift stores like Goodwill, Salvation Army and more have lacked the digital infrastructure to appeal to increasingly digitized shoppers, which means that Walmart’s partnership with Thredup could potentially reach a new market with its secondhand offerings — especially in the midst of a pandemic that sees more and more people relying on e-commerce rather than in-store shopping.

“We are excited to join forces with Walmart to power a sustainable, secondhand shopping experience unlike any other,” said Volk.

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