Dr Martens to get foot in the door of resale market with help from Depop

theguardian.com:

Dr Martens is looking to stomp into the repair and resale market on the back of a new collaboration with the online secondhand clothing marketplace Depopas demand surges for refurbished fashion.

Kenny Wilson, the British footwear brand’s chief executive, said it was possible that refurbished or secondhand boots could account for up to 15% of sales in 10 years’ time and it was important to work out how to play a part in that market.

“We think this is going to be a big part of how consumers shop in the future,” he said, adding that there were already other businesses trading in secondhand DMs. “This is part of something really important for the business longer term. Our incredible strength is the durability of the product. I can own a pair for seven or eight years and they are still perfectly good for someone else who wants to buy them.”

Depop’s customer base skews young, but Wilson said the interest in sustainability had broad appeal. “There are people of all ages saying they would rather buy something that is reconditioned rather than new. There are still lots of other people who do want new. It is about choice,” Wilson said.

Dr Martens is joining a rush into refurbishment and resale at all levels of the fashion market – from Mulberry and Harvey Nichols to Marks & Spencer and H&M – as demand from shoppers increases.

Even the reality show Love Island has recognised the trend in a new partnership with eBay under which participants wear “preloved” items, replacing previous sponsor partners that have included the fast fashion brands Missguided and I Saw it First.

The international resale market is expected to grow from $27bn (£21bn) today to $57bn by 2025, according to a Business of Fashion report, and the secondhand marketplace