The RealReal has launched a Sustainability Calculator for consignment as part of National Consignment Day, Oct. 1, 2018. The luxury consignment retailer calculated the impact of the 2.5 million women’s clothing items that it has processed, determining that the company has offset 65 million car miles in greenhouse gasses and energy since 2012.
The feature will soon let shoppers track the environmental impact of their own activity on The RealReal. Customers will be able to see how many car miles they’ve offset, how many seedlings they’ve planted and the amount of water they have saved.
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The RealReal worked with Shift Advantage, an environmental consultancy, and a team of advisors to create its four-step methodology:
- Impact by Material: Energy, greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption were developed by commissioning material type estimates;
- Item Archetypes: The most common women’s clothing types (dresses, tops, jackets and knitwear) were used to develop archetypes for calculation;
- Fabric Composites: The RealReal determined the most common item-fabric combinations; and
- Product Type Composites: Sample weights were used to develop average weight measures for each archetype fabrication group.
Sustainability can be a powerful sales driver for retailers, particularly in the luxury segment. Environmental responsibility can help retailers stand out from the competition, giving shoppers a reason to feel good when they purchase a brand’s products.
