Companies are, with an ever-increasing frequency, moving into the recommerce marketplace. Adding this element of circularity to business models is seen as an opportunity to both enhance the organisation’s sustainability credentials while also providing a new revenue stream.

UK -based retailer John Lewis has launched a pilot buy-back program in partnership with recycling specialist Stuffsr. The scheme will be made available to a small number of customers as a precursor to rolling out a full-scale version later in the year. Similarly, fashion retailer Guess has announced a partnership with I:CO in an initiative which facilitates the collection, certified sorting, reuse and recycling of used apparel and footwear.

The John Lewis initiative will see garments purchased from the company within the last five years instantly valued via an app, before allowing this apparel to be sold back to the company – meaning, customers can claim a John Lewis voucher once the value of returned apparel reaches a threshold. These items can then be collected by courier service in as little as three hours.

The Guess and I:CO collaboration will enable customers to take a minimum of five garments into stores in exchange for a 15 per cent discount off any purchase in-store or online before an agreed deadline.