Happy Monday! Let’s get stuck in.

Circular Showcase

Retail and circularity haven’t always gone hand in hand. Traditional retail models prioritise high-volume, low-cost production, and often resist the secondary market for fear of cannibalising new sales. As a result, uptake has historically been slow.

But the tide is turning - more and more retailers are embracing circularity to boost sustainability and strengthen customer loyalty. Today, we’re showcasing a selection of those leading the way:

Selfridges (UK)
Selfridges leads with “Reselfridges”, offering resale, rental, and repairs across all stores and online. In 2022, they quadrupled resale and refill revenue, and have set a bold goal: to make 45% of all transactions circular by 2030.

Currys (UK)
Currys drives circularity with its “Cash for Trash” and trade-in programs, recycling over 60,000 tonnes of tech annually. Its “Long Live Your Tech” strategy supports large-scale repairs and refurbishments, keeping millions of devices in use and out of landfill.

John Lewis & Partners (UK)
John Lewis offers “BeautyCycle” (over 1.1 million beauty empties collected), fashion rental services, and furniture buy-back pilots. Their take-back programs for mattresses, sofas, and appliances have diverted thousands of tonnes from landfill.

IKEA (EU)
IKEA aims to be fully circular by 2030, designing all products for reuse, refurbishment, and recycling. They offer furniture buy-back and resale programs, free spare parts to encourage repairs, and “Circular Hubs” in-store for returned or refurbished items.

Decathlon (EU)
Decathlon's "Second Life" program repairs, refurbishes, and resells returned or slightly damaged sporting goods, diverting products from landfills and creating a more accessible price point for consumers. Their in-store repair services further support circularity.

Stockmann (EU)
Stockmann supports circular fashion through its in-store “Relove” concept, offering curated secondhand clothing alongside new collections in Helsinki and Tallinn. They also run textile recycling programs, encouraging customers to return used garments to be resold, upcycled, or recycled into new materials.

Patagonia (US)
Patagonia's "Worn Wear" program buys back used gear, repairs it, and resells it, keeping high-quality outdoor apparel in circulation for longer. They also offer in-store repairs and encourage a strong culture of reuse and longevity.

Best Buy (US)
Best Buy runs one of the largest e-waste recycling programs in the US, accepting a wide range of electronics and appliances for safe recycling or refurbishment. Their trade-in program gives devices a second life, and they sell certified refurbished tech in-store and online via their “Refurbished Electronics Outlet”.

Eileen Fisher (US)
Through its “Renew” program, Eileen Fisher has collected 2 million garments, reselling or upcycling pieces to close the loop on fashion waste. Customers get credit for returns, making circularity part of everyday shopping.

We’d also love to hear from you: which retailers have impressed you most with their circularity initiatives recently?

Circular Calendar

The summer slowdown has begun…

Before you go… We recently launched our suite of B2B services designed to amplify your company’s visibility and impact. To learn more, simply follow the link below:

Have a superb week and we’ll see you again on Friday!

Cheers to circularity,

#TeamCircularConnect #ConnectingTheCircularEconomy