New Hampshire-based home and apparel brand Garnet Hill has launched a resale marketplace for its pre-owned pieces, marking the next step for a brand that believes quality garments and beddings should last for years, not seasons.
Called Garnet Hill Second Nature, the online marketplace launches with a curated assortment of Garnet Hill pre-owned inventory, including apparel, accessories, quilts and blankets.
Now five decades in the business, the company framed the launch as the next logical step for a brand with products that are built to last and to be passed on between friends, families, and now shoppers. The reduced prices also don’t hurt: a cashmere polo sweater, for example, retails for $104 (from the original price of $189) while a lightweight twin-sized comforter costs $97 (from $199 previously).
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“Garnet Hill Second Nature is a natural extension of that legacy giving our customers a trusted way to pass along favorite pieces and help them find a new home. By keeping quality products in circulation, they can be enjoyed for years to come and it’s better for the planet,” said Connie Hallquist, president of Garnet Hill.
The D2C brand partnered with two tech firms for this new business expansion. Its platform was built by Archive, which enables brands to launch their own in-house resale solutions, and each pre-owned item on the site is inspected and restored by Tersus Solutions, which uses proprietary waterless cleaning technology.
Eventually, Garnet Hill said consumers will also be able to sell on the site, although it did not specify a timeline. When the peer-to-peer model launches, Garnett Hill said sellers can choose to be paid in cash or receive credit for a future purchase.
Founded in 1976, the business was started by Pegge Kirschner and her husband Grant Dowse, who got the idea for the company after bringing home an English cotton flannel sheet from Europe they loved so much only to realize there was nothing in the U.S. quite like it at the time. A lot has happened since Garnet Hills started business, including the untimely death of the founder couple in a 1985 plane crash and the sale of the family business to live shopping company QVC Group in 2017.
Now, Garnet Hill’s foray into the secondhand market reflects an increasing consumer appetite for circularity, especially among GenZ shoppers. For example, secondhand resale app Depop, which was acquired by eBay earlier this year, hit $1 billion in sales last year with a user base that is “overwhelmingly Gen Z.”
While third party resale platforms like Depop continue to be popular, several brands like The North Face and Lululemon have been putting up their own in-house resale platforms. These sites were also built by Archive. This trend can also be seen among other brands that, like Garnet Hill, have been known for their high quality linen such as Frank & Eileen’s Reloved and Eileen Fisher’s Renew.
“Garnet Hill has built its business on natural materials and pieces designed to last, which makes it a great fit for resale,” said Emily Gittins, CEO and co-founder of Archive. “Garnet Hill Second Nature gives customers a trusted way to keep those pieces in circulation and discover new items, while creating a more accessible entry point to the brand for new and price-conscious shoppers.”
“With styles sourced from customer returns and select existing inventory offered at a lower price point, customers can shop with the confidence of buying directly through Garnet Hill, with the quality, experience and dedicated support they expect from the brand,” she added.
