A new re-commerce platform wants to change the streetwear game: Responsible was founded in the UK 2021 by Northern Irish entrepreneur Mark Dowds and Australian Mitchell Doust with the goal to help solve fashion’s sustainability problem with a new take on Re-Commerce that will open the category to end-customers and brands alike.
Responsible operates both via its own Re-Commerce store and as a plug-in app integrated directly into partner brand’s digital stores.
Customers can opt into Responsible’s Buy Back program when purchasing an item. When shoppers opt into Buy Back they can see up-front the estimated Buy Back price for the product helping them reframe price when they shop circular.
After wearing an item Customers visit the brand store of purchase, activate Buy Back and return via the free shipping service. Customers answer a questionnaire to determine the item value before posting it back. Customers receive credit, redeemable against purchases for new product on partner stores as well as against pre-used product on Responsible.us.
Returned products are authenticated, cleaned, refurbished and repackaged to be sold via Responsible.us. Where a repair is required, the team use brand-approved repair processes; anything unfit for resale is held back to be recycled or up-cycled.
“Responsible’s reimagining for the circular streetwear economy provides the framework for shoppers and brands of all sizes to easily engage in circular fashion. We believe reusing clothes is the most impactful thing we can all do to make fashion more sustainable and the streetwear sector is poorly serviced by the options available today,” said Mark Dowds, co-founder/CEO, Responsible.
As launch partner, UK fashion brand Raeburn collaborated with Responsible for a full pop-up takeover of the brand’s new Soho store over Black Friday weekend. Responsible’s integrated, Shopify approved, Buy Back plug-in also went live on raeburndesign.co.uk with all current collections eligible for Buy Back through Responsible. More streetwear partners will be announced in the coming months, the company states. Meanwhile, Responsible’s own shop, responsbile.us, went live with streetwear items available to buy.
Currently, Responsible operates in the UK from its Belfast and London offices with plans to establish an EU presence early in 2022.
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