Nordstrom future-proofs with pre-loved fashion
US – Nordstrom’s new initiative See You Tomorrow will offer second-hand clothing sourced from its own returns and damaged items.
Running with the tagline 'Give your gently worn pieces a new future', it will feature brands such as Burberry, Thom Browne, Isabel Marant and Off-White. The retailer’s move into second-hand selling will draw from multiple sources: not only will it feature items returned by customers or damaged on the shop floor, it will also sell products sourced by Yerdle, which handles Patagonia and Eileen Fisher's resale.
Tapping into sustainability, it will also encourage shoppers to seek more unique items. As Olivia Kim, vice-president of creative projects at Nordstrom, notes: ‘The curated shop experience is becoming quite ubiquitous with retail because the world has become quite small and everybody has access to the same stuff. So the question is, what are things you can do that show a point of view to your customers that’s different?'
Read our Pre-loved Premium listicle to discover how luxury brands are introducing circular retail concepts.
JUDY is an emergency kit fit for dystopia
US – JUDY is a collection of ‘ready for anything’ kits and resource tools that help individuals and families in times of emergency.
Created in response to the growing number of global climate, health and humanitarian crises, the kits are customised by location, with contents based on the unique needs and risks of specific households.
Available in four variations and priced from £46 ($60, €54) to £193 ($250, €227), each kit features an assortment of products for emergency needs, including first aid items, blankets, packaged food, water and tools. The kits are presented in durable orange boxes, and each JUDY customer can also receive support via text, with safety tips and advice to give them a better understanding of how to use their kits. Users in emergency situations can also receive real-time support and guidance.
According to Simon Huck, co-founder and CEO of JUDY: ‘I was inspired to help people proactively plan for emergencies by empowering them with tools and knowledge. JUDY is designed to help everyone prepare for the unexpected and make it as seamless as possible.’
As we discuss in our recent opinion piece, an increasing number of affluent individuals are preparing for a disaster-proof planet, with services such as JUDY catering for this audience.
A new French law will halt goods to landfill
France – A new French law aims to crack down on product waste and stop unsold goods from being sent to landfill.
The law is a world first, and covers electrical items, hygiene products, clothing and cosmetics, ensuring items are re-used, redistributed or recycled.
It will also phase out the use of paper till receipts and single-use plastics, as well as encouraging pharmacies to sell certain medications in individual doses.
The new bill will require producers, importers and distributors of consumer goods, including online firms such as Amazon, to donate unsold non-food goods to charities. Polluter brands, meanwhile, such as tobacco companies will be required to finance the destruction of waste that they create, such as the clean-up of cigarette butts.
While Civic Brands have previously stepped in to support citizens through such schemes, France is showing how governments are re-asserting themselves by introducing such regulations to future-proof their nations.
Stat: US consumers embrace CBD beauty
According to a survey of over 7,000 US consumers by The Benchmarking Company, a quarter have used skincare and beauty products containing cannabidiol (CBD).
With the report finding that many US consumers view CBD as a safe, healthy and powerful ingredient, the appeal of the cannabis derivative in beauty products is becoming increasingly clear. Some 58% of respondents believe that CBD is a potent ingredient in addressing cosmetic concerns, 57% think it is good for you, and 46% say it is full of vitamins.
The number of non-CBD users prepared to experiment with it is also on the rise; 45% are more willing to try CBD than they were just one year ago. As discussed in our interview with Melisse Gelula, co-founder of wellness platform Well + Good, consumers are recognising the benefits of CBD by trialling and testing its various use cases at their own leisure.