First Look: Nordstrom's in-store resale shop
Nordstrom is the latest department store retailer to tap into one of retail’s fastest-growing markets: previously-owned clothes and accessories.
Nordstrom has launched, See You Tomorrow, an online and in-store resale shop. Curated by Olivia Kim, VP of creative projects at Nordstrom, the shop features an edited, authenticated assortment apparel and accessories from highly coveted brands, the retailer said. It will also highlight special brand partnerships, starting with Ganni, a Copenhagen-based contemporary fashion brand.
On the brick-and-mortar front, Nordstrom has unveiled a See You Tomorrow in-store shop in its new Manhattan flagship. Designed and built in collaboration with artist and furniture designer Marc Hundley, the shop includes a café space whose offerings will emphasize sustainable market finds.
At launch, Nordstrom’s resale initiative has been stocked with merchandise sourced from the Nordstrom Quality Center (NQC), the facility that receives and processes returned and damaged merchandise from Nordstrom's full-price channels. All merchandise will be cleaned, repaired and refurbished before it becomes available for sale.
In addition, Nordstrom is launching a customer intake program in its New York flagship that will allow customers to bring in their “gently-used” used items in exchange for Nordstrom gift cards that can be spent across all the retailer’s online and store channels, including Nordstrom Rack, HauteLook and Trunk Club. The company plans to launch an online intake program where customers will have the ability to mail in merchandise.
Nordstrom has partnered with technology and logistics startup Yerdle to power the backend operations of the resale platform, including cleaning and repairing of product, inventory processing and fulfillment. Authentication of certain luxury designer items is being done in partnership with Entrupy.
"We want to provide a unique and elevated resale shopping experience that encourages a sense of discovery and provides access to the brands our customers know and love, while giving them a convenient opportunity to participate in the circular fashion economy," said Olivia Kim. "We want our customers to feel good not only about what they're buying, but how they're buying it."
The resale market is currently valued at some $7 billion. It is expected to triple by 2023, according to a report from resale site ThredUp by the research firm GlobalData. During the past year, Macy’s and J.C. Penney have both partnered with ThredUp to sell secondhand women’s apparel from the company in their stores. In April, Neiman Marcus took a minority stake in online consignment market Fashionphile.
Most recently, Nordstrom Rack, in collaboration with Rent the Runway, starting testing a new service called Rent the Runway Revive. The program brings some of the subscription rental company’s gently worn products to 24 Nordstrom Rack locations for a limited time.
The resale merchandise assortment at See You Tomorrow includes women's apparel, women's shoes, handbags, men's apparel, accessories and shoes, children's wear and a limited selection of jewelry and watches.
"In addition to providing customers more ways to engage with us, See You Tomorrow is another step we're taking to actively support our commitment to sustainability," said Pete Nordstrom, co-president at Nordstrom. "We're excited to show our customers another way Nordstrom is striving to leave the world better than we found it and circular fashion is another piece to this puzzle."