Will second-hand clothing drive more traffic to Target's stores?
Target, which made its name from cheap chic apparel, is looking to bring its business to another level with ... secondhand clothes?
The chain is working with thredUP, a service that buys name brand secondhand clothing from consumers. Consumers will send their clothing to the Target page on thredUP in exchange for gift cards that they can use in the retailer's stores or on target.com. The purpose is to drive more consumers to Target and build purchases that go beyond what's covered by the gift cards.
Consumers who are interested in getting rid of their used clothing can go online to thredUP and request a "clean out kit." After receiving it, they send their clothes to thredUP (Target is picking up the shipping costs) for inspection. Items valued at less than $60 will be paid upfront to the Target shoppers. They will receive their gift cards for more expensive items after a sale is made.
![[Image: thredUP]](/public/images/discussions/18601/thredup-still.jpg)
As of now, 11 Target stores in the Twin Cities area are also acting as drop-offs for thredUP packages. Reports did not indicate if the retailer plans to expand to other locations across the country.
ThredUP, which currently focuses on women's and children's clothing, raised $81 million in Series E funding last month.
"We founded thredUP to make it incredibly convenient for consumers to clean out their closets and shop for quality secondhand clothes," James Reinhart, CEO and co-founder of thredUP, said in a press release to announce the funding. "We saw a huge opportunity to leverage Internet penetration and the growing acceptance of buying and selling online to bring a delightful, frictionless secondhand experience to the masses."