Marks and Spencer Group PLC (LSE:MKS) has become the first major High Street brand to join the Dotte Resale Collective hand-me-down clothes initiative.
M&S Kidswear has announced a trial with dotte, the UK’s first “fully circular” kidswear peer-to-peer marketplace where parents can buy, sell, donate, and recycle outgrown kidswear.
The dotte resale collective is made up of 16 independent and sustainably-minded kidswear brands. Dotte said when a user sells a used M&S item on its platform, they will receive an M&S voucher that will give them a £5 discount on an online purchase of M&S produce provided they spend at least £25.
“We design and make our products so that the M&S label means quality – product that can be handed down - because we believe style shouldn’t cost the earth,” said Alice Duggan, the head of M&S Kidswear.
“Pre-loved selling is a growing market and through joining the dotte resale collective we’re looking forward to learning more from an agile start-up and supporting the circular economy. Through the platform we also hope to extend our customer reach as we continue to make M&S kidswear more relevant more often for customers and the ‘go to’ destination store and website not just for uniform but for everyday style & value too,” she added.
Samantha Valentine, the co-founder of dotte, said kidswear is one of the fastest-changing areas of fashion, with 183mln items of kids’ clothing going to landfill in the UK alone every year.
“Having a trusted kidswear retailer like M&S onboard signals a huge step-change in the industry itself, and the fact that they are rewarding their customers for selling M&S kidswear will encourage so many more families to get involved in the circular economy,” Valentine added.