Otrium, the digital off-price fashion outlet, has announced a partnership with The Renewal Workshop (TRW) on a dedicated garment refurbishment and repair service. The deal is in collaboration with Bleckmann, experts in fashion supply chain management, which bought TRW in March of last year.
Six-year-old Otrium raised a $120 million Series C two years ago and now counts 4 million registered users. New companies to join the platform include Paige, Diane von Furstenburg, Thakoon and All Saints, alongside flagship brands such as Reiss, Tommy Hilfiger and Asics. More than 400 fashion players use Otrium to manage their excess and end-of-season inventory, bringing a Century 21-style shopping experience into the digital realm where customers get up to 75 percent off premium and designer brands.
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The new repair agreement means Otrium can look to Bleckmann’s circular fashion team to manage damaged returns and help reduce the fashion industry’s growing textile waste problem.
Bleckmann’s integrated data capabilities were a critical draw for Otrium, which shares the view of the importance of data collection and analysis in successful sustainability plans.
“Using our advanced stock tracking systems, we determined that 70 percent of the renewed Otrium stock had been sold within seven weeks,” said Tamara Zwart, Bleckmann’s director of renewal.
The agreement between Otrium and Bleckmann came following a three-month pilot program at the Bleckmann facility in Almelo, the Netherlands, to expand the range of repair services and optimize processes through data analysis. During the 90-day trial, TRW’s team refurbished more than 3,000 Otrium items that included garments, shoes and accessories.
The trial focused on a diverse product range to make sure the system could handle a variety of items. “The Renewal Workshop team worked closely with us to develop a streamlined and scalable process that could grow in line with our ambitions,” said Otrium head of sustainability, Marlot Kiveron.
The pilot program was rooted in the companies’ mutual conviction that most returned clothing can be restored and resold, as Kevin Carolan, Otrium logistics director, said. “Preventing waste is an important part of Otrium’s DNA.”
“Thanks to our partnership with Bleckmann and their Renewal Workshop team, we can now repair the majority of damaged returns and put them back into circulation,” he added.
Earlier this year, Otrium partnered with Vaayu, a carbon-tracking startup, on an investigation of the carbon emissions and waste-saving potential of fashion outlet business models. Vaayu’s study revealed that on average, a refurbished return sold on the fashion outlet platform avoids 2,760 kilograms of carbon emissions and 69 grams of waste.
The three companies aim to expand in a major way. By the end of 2023, they expect to repair some 25,000 items.
TRW is a significant player in fashion repair. It has worked with Champion, Arc’teryx, The North Face, H&M’s Cos division, Tommy Hilfiger, Mara Hoffman, Coyuchi and Adidas.
Additional reporting by Jessica Binns.
