Signal Patagonia, Levi's, and Another Tomorrow build resale into the brand rather than around it

Summary

McKinsey observes that more companies now treat resale as a way to recruit new customers and strengthen brand value rather than as a threat. A secondhand handbag priced at 150 dollars, for example, opens a door for shoppers who cannot stretch to the 600-dollar new version. Apparel brands such as Patagonia and Levi's have launched trade-in and buyback programmes, and brand-owned or peer-to-peer resale platforms let firms take part in this market directly. The clothing label Another Tomorrow has taken a different route, using digital product passports and partnerships to support authentication and recirculation. A digital product passport is a unique identifier such as a QR code that records a product's origin, materials and ownership history. These approaches bring resale inside the brand instead of leaving it to outside players.