Fashionable resale strategy

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This article was published 01/10/2024 (431 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Used clothes will soon be welcomed back at a popular Winnipeg retailer.

Danali set roots in Winnipeg in 1979. Forty-five years later, the company is launching After Danali, its online consignment shop.

“The pieces are timeless, they’re not going out of style, the quality is still really good,” said Jessie Margolis, co-owner of Danali. “They deserve to be worn and kind of (given) a second chance.”

She and After Danali partner Jonathan Pokasuwan aim to launch the shop Oct. 15. Already, the duo has accumulated denim items and products from past collaborations. The original sales tags are still on some, Pokasuwan relayed.

The pair believes there’s a need for a different tier of second-hand shopping. There are thrift and luxury consignment options, but not much in the mid-range, Margolis said.

“We’ve … noticed the landscape change,” added Pokasuwan. “People are getting more mindful of consumerism and how much they’re using.”

Margolis and Pokasuwan have worked on After Danali for the past six months. The online shop (afterdanali.com) will stock items Danali has previously sold and clothing similar to Danali’s offerings.

Currently, the 530 Kenaston Blvd. store advertises jeans around $300 and dresses spanning $100 to $675.

Items on After Danali will cost roughly 60 to 70 per cent less than they did at first purchase, Margolis estimated. Clothing condition and trendiness are pricing factors.

She predicts After Danali could draw new customers.

“I think that people perceive us to be a very high-end shop (that) not everyone can afford,” she said. “This will break the barrier.”

Meanwhile, customers buying firsthand Danali products have the option to consign them back when they’re done.

Margolis and Pokasuwan conduct clothing evaluations in Danali and at clients’ homes. They’ll go through a customer’s entire closet if wanted — people have asked, Margolis said.

Sellers through After Danali will receive 40 per cent of the final sale or a 50 per cent off credit to shop at Danali.

The shop will not sell thrift or ultra-luxury items, Margolis noted.

“It seems like they are … treating clothes as something that is not necessarily disposable, (but) as something that should last a long time and should be passed,” said Sean Buchanan, a University of Manitoba business professor who studies environmental issues in the private sector.

He called After Danali an “interesting” technique to make reuse economically viable for the retailer.

It resonates with the degrowth movement, which calls for shrinking consumption, Buchanan continued.

“I think that people perceive us to be a very high-end shop (that) not everyone can afford… This will break the barrier.”–Jessie Margolis

Companies are often against the concept, viewing opting away from growth as anti-business and anti-capitalist. Still, many organizations are looking to stay profitable without relying on increased consumption and production, Buchanan said.

Patagonia, a California-based outdoor clothing brand, has a program to trade in, repair and buy its used items. Lululemon’s United States branch allows for the return of gently used items, which are then resold.

Buchanan has noticed an increased resistance to fast fashion among his students. They talk about buying from thrift and consignment stores.

ThredUp, an online second-hand shop, projects the global resale market to hit US$350 billion by 2028. It points to Gen Z as leading the charge.

Margolis said she’s spotted Danali clothes for sale on Facebook Marketplace. It’s likely hard to sell on social media or to price at thrift shops, because people don’t understand the value of the goods, she said.

“There’s so many replicas and fake products out there,” Margolis continued.

She figures Danali’s reputation will prove the clothes are good quality and properly priced on After Danali.

Customers can try second-hand clothes in-store or opt for delivery.

Meanwhile, Danali is having its “best years” — the launch of the new shop isn’t for lack of sales, Margolis said. The company hosts a denim drive annually and typically collects 300 pairs of jeans for donation.

Margolis isn’t ruling out a physical storefront for After Danali; it depends on demand.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com