Green Retail World has covered big news from Ocado Retail and Vinted this week, as well as publishing articles on the forthcoming plastic pollution treaty and some concerning new consumer research from Deloitte.
But here are five additional news-in-brief items to round up the last seven days in greener retailing.
Zalando and DS Smith extend packaging partnership
Zalando and DS Smith have extended their longstanding packaging partnership.
The principal supplier contract covers Zalando’s e-commerce and fibre-based corrugated cardboard packaging solutions for European products, and the new deal begins from April 2025.
In a statement, the two companies said their collaboration “is anticipated to drive high-quality innovation in design and materials utilisation”.
DS Smith said its design teams adopt circular design principles, where they use no more materials than necessary, create for supply chain efficiency and recyclability, and use recycled materials wherever possible.
David Fischer, director of logistics sustainability & packaging at Zalando, commented: “DS Smith has proven to be a highly valued, inspiring, and dependable partner for Zalando, and we have worked incredibly well together over the last years.
“Our focus is on innovation and on leading the way with customer-centric and more sustainable solutions. We have a strong interest in developing high quality packaging solutions for e-commerce and as a leading player, our customers expect us to lead the way into a more sustainable future.”
Marc Chiron, sales, marketing & innovation director for the packaging division at DS Smith, added: “This new agreement will enable us to build on our research and development to date and continue to create some outstanding packaging solutions for Zalando’s e-commerce product portfolio across Europe.”
Closer links between Reformation and Poshmark
As of this week, US fashion retailer Reformation and second-hand platform have strengthened ties.
A tech link-up between the two companies means consumers can – with one click – list items they have purchased on Reformation for resale on Poshmark to help give them a new lease of life rather than throwing them away.
Asos and Hirestreet rental subscription
In a Retail Week exclusive, rental fashion platform Hirestreet founder Isabella West announced a “step forward” for clothing hire in the UK as her company extended its partnership with Asos.
A new subscription rental service gives subscribers access to more than 20,000 Asos items across different brands, including Never Fully Dressed, Columbia, and 4th and Reckless, making it the largest fashion rental subscription in the UK.
The subscription service allows customers to rent five items per month for a total of £75 and includes products that retail at a much larger price individually, such as £250 dresses from the Asos Luxe range.
West told Retail Week: “The growth in the UK rental market over the last five years has been significant – we are now in a world where consumers actively consider rental as an alternative to purchasing when it comes to occasion wear.”
FatFace launches Christmas campaign
Fashion retailer FatFace has unveiled a ‘It’s a Wonderful Gift’ Christmas marketing campaign – focusing on longevity of products and giving gifts that last a lifetime.
Creative agency Livity, part of krow Group, created the campaign with the aim of helping to broaden the retailer’s target audience. The agency worked with director, Kemi Anna Adeeko, who is committed to creating visuals that share diverse experiences.
The campaign highlights how FatFace clothing can be an integral part of everyone’s life, regardless of age or gender, and the main ad follows the journey of a gifted FatFace cardigan through a family over the course of one year.
Primark and Wrap want to give clothes a longer life
A new three-year partnership between fashion retailer Primark and Wrap, a waste management NGO, is set to explore how collaboration can keep clothing in circulation for longer and help reduce textile waste.
As part of the tie-up, the organisations will assess Primark’s textile donation scheme and routes to expand its existing circularity ambitions. Behaviour Change, a subsidiary of Wrap, will provide behavioural science expertise to support the work – and Primark’s takeback partner, Yellow Octopus, will also play an advisory role.
Early findings from the partnership are set to result in the development of new initiatives that aim to encourage more consumers to donate unwanted textiles to Primark for recycling.
Catherine David, director of behaviour change & business programmes at Wrap, said: “Circular living is a key business opportunity for this generation so it is fantastic to see a fashion giant like Primark gaining recognition in this emerging area.
“Without widespread scaling of circular business models which are accessible to people, the world will not be able to achieve vital carbon and water reductions. Wrap’s mission is to embed circular living in every boardroom and every home. We are working in new ways with businesses like Primark, and across the world, to accelerate progress towards our goal of cutting the carbon footprint of the textiles industry in half by 2030.”
Lynne Walker, director of Primark Cares, the retailer’s internal division that aims to make progress with the sustainability agenda, remarked: “Through our Primark Cares strategy, we are committed to becoming a circular and more sustainable business.
“This partnership with Wrap is an important step in understanding how we can give clothes longer life and reduce textile waste. Combining our expertise will allow us to better understand consumer behaviour, enhance our takeback schemes, and scale our circularity initiatives. We believe that by working together, we can make a meaningful impact in driving change across the fashion industry.”
[main image credit: Zalando/DS Smith]
