Crocs, ThredUp partner on resale program

Crocs is supporting a commitment to become net zero by 2030 by helping customers clean out their closets.

The specialty footwear brand is collaborating with the Clean Out program from online resale platform ThredUp. Starting Nov. 4, 2021, Crocs customers in the U.S. can generate a prepaid shipping label from www.thredup.com/crocs, fill any shippable box with apparel, shoes, and accessories from any brand, and ship it to ThredUp. The program is part of Crocs' commitment to become a net zero company by 2030.

While it's encouraged, it is not required that customers donate Crocs shoes to participate in the Crocs-ThredUp Clean Out program. Once the items are received, they must pass a quality inspection before they are listed on thredup.com, after which sellers receive a Crocs shopping credit.

For a limited time, Crocs will provide an additional bonus to encourage customers to participate. The shopping credit can be used to purchase any items in-store or online at the Crocs website. Crocs' is using ThredUp’s Resale as a Service (RaaS) technology, software, and logistics to support the program. 

ThredUp has entered into partnerships with a number of other retailers, including Fabletics and Gap Inc., which both also offer customers access to the ThredUp Clean Out kits. 

In addition to being good for the environment, resale is increasingly good for business. According to the ninth annual “2021 Resale Report” from ThredUp and retail analytics firm GlobalData, secondhand apparel, shoes, and accessories is now a $36 billion market, projected to double in the next five years to $77 billion. Resale is expected to grow 11-times faster than firsthand retail clothing sales over the next five years.

[Read more: Survey: Second-hand retail sales will reach $77 billion by 2025]

"Crocs shoes are incredibly durable and perfectly built for a second life, so encouraging customers to consider reuse is extremely important to us," said Michelle Poole, brand president at Crocs. "Crocs and ThredUp are both committed to keeping products in use and out of landfills, and we're thrilled to partner with ThredUp to reduce our environmental footprint and bring us one step closer to achieving our net zero goal by taking action to create a more comfortable world."

"Crocs has put tremendous emphasis around reducing environmental impact and waste, and ThredUp is humbled to be part of their sustainability journey," said Pooja Sethi, senior VP and GM of RaaS at ThredUp. "By enabling Crocs customers to give preloved items a second life through thredUP's Resale-as-a-Service, we're promoting reuse and inching closer to a more circular future for fashion."

The partnership furthers Crocs' sustainability effort, which aims to address the entire value chain and includes investments in sustainable ingredients, packaging, resource use, and product afterlife solutions. Crocs already donates a number of unsellable Crocs shoes each year. This program is the first of its kind from Crocs and directly supports the brand's strategic focus on product afterlife solutions, a key pillar of its roadmap to achieve net zero by 2030.