Goodwill Hunting #14: inflation & cheap clothes

weekly roundup of resale fashion must-reads for the weekend

Nov 04, 2022

Welcome to Goodwill Hunting, a newsletter curating the best finds, insights, and jobs in resale & circular fashion. Written by Danielle L. Vermeer, a tech product manager and avid thrifter obsessed with making fashion more social, circular, and fun.

Thrift Finds

All from one of my favorite thrifting sites, ShopGoodwill: Schiaparelli Tassel Brooch ($14) | Vintage Gucci Monogram Bag ($174) | Tory Burch Denim Dress, size S ($16) | Hermes scarf coffee table book ($70) | Cole Haan Boots, size 7.5 ($10)

Weekend Reading

Podcast Episode: Anthony Marino, President of ThredUP (Accenture)

Global instability is causing huge shifts in customer behavior. While most customers want to shop in a way that matches their values — like sustainability and social responsibility — they are also dealing with practical realities, which can lead to contradictory decisions.

Gen Z, Gucci Vault, & metaverse experiments (Zoe Scaman)

This thread from strategist Zoe Scaman breaks down why Gucci is the only luxury brand that makes the list of Gen Z’s top brands (Gucci is #2 after Nike).

[Gucci Vault] began as a place where Gucci could look to the past & future simultaneously - by sharing vintage pieces from their own archive….But soon after, the focus expanded to include wider brand partnerships, gaming worlds and Web3 activations. It became less about a website/destination & more about being a laboratory & embracing the ethos of exploration & play, with the aim of leaving all boundaries behind.

The North Face Launches Take-Back Program, powered by Archive resale-as-a-service (The North Face)

We’re going all in on takebacks. Bring your used The North Face gear to our retail or outlet stores and we’ll ship them to The North Face Renewed. Here, gear is given a second chance. It’s inspected, washed, tuned up and ready to be resold to hit the trail—again. If your gear can’t be repaired, we’ll recycle or donate it as part of our commitment to circularity.

Non-Coercive Marketing: A Primer (Ungated)

Rob Hardy is a fellow Startupy curator and brilliant writer on the “battle for the soul of the internet.”

Self coercion and distrust are the emotional water our society swims in, and our external world reflects that….Non-coercive marketing is about creating customers who are both aligned and empowered. An aligned customer is someone who is delighted to have done business with you….An empowered customer is someone whose choice to transact comes not from insecurity, but from self-trust.

Consumer Insights

In a recent consumer research study of 2000+ US and UK adults, there is a gap between what consumers say vs. what they’ll actually pay for in sustainable fashion.

Price is more important than sustainability. 6 in 10 consumers are more concerned about rising costs and inflation than sustainability. While 57% of respondents want the fashion industry to be more sustainable, 55% felt that these products were too expensive. Only 39% said they would pay higher prices for sustainably-made items.
Fast fashion has quality issues. 58% try to keep clothes for longer to help the environment, but 54% believe that most fashion today isn’t built to last and 42% have thrown out clothes because they weren’t repairable. What does this mean for fast fashion brands like SHEIN, Zara, and Pretty Little Thing that recently launched their own resale programs?
Greenwashing is confusing. 54% don’t trust fashion brands’ sustainability claims. Instead, two-thirds of consumers turn to friends and peers for recommendations on how to shop more sustainability. In case you missed it, here’s the deeper dive on how greenwashing is a form of psyops.