At Treet HQ, we're committed to prioritizing sustainability all year round, but with Earth Day coming up on April 22nd, we're even more excited to share the benefits of sustainability through resale. We want to encourage all of our brand partners to join us in celebrating their own sustainability initiatives and the positive impact that resale can have on our planet.
According to the 2023 Thredup Resale report, Gen-Z is leading the charge in adopting more sustainable behaviors than any other group. In fact, 50% of Gen-Z has reduced the amount they buy, and 45% have stopped purchasing certain brands due to sustainability concerns. This highlights the importance of showcasing all the ways that you're working towards becoming more eco-friendly.
Promoting resale is a great way to get started. Did you know that giving an item a second chance at life through resale reduces its CO2 emissions by 82%? By either clearing out your stale inventory via resale or promoting secondhand shopping to your customers, you'll not only be doing your part for the environment but can also potentially boost your profits.
To make it easy for you, we've compiled a few simple ways that you can highlight resale this month:
1. Surface your resale efforts on your homepage: In order to maximize your eco-friendly efforts on April 22nd, be sure to showcase your resale shop on your homepage. Take advantage of this opportunity to highlight how your brand is taking action to be more sustainable, such as facilitating the buying and selling of pre-owned clothing and accessories. We suggest featuring your resale shop prominently by adding it to your homepage banner, top navigation bar, or a welcome pop-up. Check out the examples below for inspiration:
2. Send a dedicated email: Send a dedicated email highlighting your resale program and other sustainability efforts. This is an excellent opportunity to drive new listings and highlight the top secondhand styles available on your site. Incorporate messaging that emphasizes sustainability, and explain why you are committed to offering resale options. Additionally, you can remind your community about the steps involved in buying or selling a secondhand item, and their ability to receive credit for items sold. Don't hesitate to make the most of this chance to promote your brand's eco-friendly values. Feel free to use our icons here.
3. Show pre-loved some love on social. Gen-Z prioritizes eco-friendliness. According to a recent NRF report, they spend an average of 4.5 hours a day on social media. Therefore, it's safe to say that social media is the ideal way to engage with younger consumers who seek out organic content (especially if it's video-based). This month, use your Instagram and TikTok platforms to create bite-sized, shareable content that maximizes engagement with your audience, such as the examples shown below. Make sure to add it to your highlights to ensure it doesn't disappear after 24 hours.
4. Partner with sustainability influencers. While we're on the topic of social media and Gen-Z, you should definitely consider the impact of influencers. Unfortunately, many "influencers" promote fast fashion. However, there are plenty of content creators who prioritize sustainability and create content around eco-friendliness. Many of them shop secondhand and share their online thrifting hauls with their followers. This movement has become so significant that #Thriftok has its own dedicated following. To make the most of this trend, we suggest seeking out an influencer who shares your brand's values and has a genuine interest in resale. Check out this example for inspiration:
5. Run a secondhand sale or offer more credit for items listed during the last two weeks of April. Encourage more listings by increasing the payout credit to sellers this month. Some brands have offered up to 150% brand credit to incentivize customers to clean out their closets sustainably. To encourage more secondhand sales, try offering a limited-time discount on your Treet-powered site. Yes, even though your pre-loved items are already well-priced, it never hurts to sweeten the deal! Get in touch with the Treet team to set this up.
We are two weeks away from April 22nd, so there’s plenty of time to implement at least one of the strategies above and participate in Earth Day in an authentic way. Are you up for the challenge?
