Patagonia just made a brilliant change to its website—and it could change the way we shop

On Patagonia’s website, starting today, you can shop for new and used clothing at the same time. The company first launched its resale platform, Worn Wear, nine years ago, making it a pioneer in the brand-owned secondhand clothing space. The platform lets customers send back used clothing in exchange for a gift card; the clothing is then cleaned, repaired, and sold at a deep discount to someone else. But until now, you had to open a different website to actually buy refurbished Patagonia clothing. Now it’s in the same place, and you can add new and used clothing to the same shopping cart. [Photo: Courtesy Patagonia] The shift is a way to “bring resale to the center of our brand and the forefront of our customer experience,” says Sam Brown, Patagonia’s head of resale, noting that in the past, many customers haven’t been aware that Worn Wear exists. Resale has become ubiquitous across fashion brands, but it typically happens separately from new sales. Patagonia’s integration is the next step in making secondhand shopping the new norm. The brand’s website includes a used section that customers can browse. If you look up a new item, you’ll see links to buy a used version when it’s ava…

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