Upscale British department store Selfridges has just launched a five-year sustainability plan called Project Earth.
As part of a new eco-friendly initiative, Selfridges introduced several new features and platforms on its website, including a clothing rental service, an online “pre-loved” or used clothing shop, and a “concierge” to help with product repairs.
“Project Earth is about us taking radical action in response to the climate crisis. Our ambitious commitments to science-based targets and a net-zero future underpin this, alongside our commitment to ensuring that the most environmentally impactful materials used right across our business come from certified, sustainable sources. For a multi-brand retailer to set targets as significant as these is a considerable undertaking, and we are absolutely focused on meeting them,” shares Daniella Vega, director of sustainability at Selfridges.
Ultimately, Project Earth is Selfridges’ attempt to change the way people shop between now and 2025. Through selling more clothing made out of sustainable materials and exploring new business models, such as repair and resell programs, the British retail brand hopes to create an alternative, more sustainable way to shop.
Currently, there are four ways shoppers can get involved with Project Earth: shopping their selection of eco-conscious products, trying out one of their new sustainable services, joining their events, or reading more about their environmental commitments.
When it comes to shopping sustainably, Selfridges has carefully curated womenswear, menswear, beauty, and accessories edits, each of which is exclusively filled with earth-conscious products. For example, the womenswear edit is filled with tees, dresses, skirts, and sweaters made out of organic cotton, while the beauty edit places an emphasis on brands that offer refillable items. Sustainable brands featured in these edits include GANNI, Pangaia, Redemption, Riley Studio, Le Labo, Ouai, Tom Ford, and more.
Selfridges’ new sustainable services are the most significant change offered as part of the Project Earth initiative. First is Resellfridges, the brand’s newly introduced second-hand fashion shop. Through Resellfridges, it’s now easier than ever for consumers to shop for pre-loved and archive clothing and accessories. All pre-loved items are sold online on Selfridges’ website and can be easily identified through a special label. In addition, the brand plans on introducing a Resell with Selfridges option soon, whereby former customers will be able to resell their used Selfridges clothing and accessories via the website.
The second sustainable service on offer is Rent Your Wardrobe with Hurr. This collaboration between Hurr and Selfridges makes it easier, not to mention more environmentally-friendly, for consumers to experiment with new clothing items. The Rent Your Wardrobe platform will feature exclusive pieces from the Selfridges archive, such as the Valentino puffed sleeve pink mini dress and the Cecile Bahnsen floral pattern mini dress. Rentals start at £50 and go up to approximately £350, depending on the rental period and item. Each piece can be rented for 7, 14, 21, or 28 days. Plus, the Hurr website clearly states the environmental savings of each piece. For example, by renting the Valentino puffed sleeve mini dress rather than buying it, you can save the equivalent CO2e of 28 trees being cut down or 4,229 miles being driven in a car.
The third new service Selfridges has launched is called Repair Concierge. Through this service, customers will be able to take in their used Selfridges items in for repair. How it works is a customer will book a virtual consultation, where one of Selfridges’ repair experts will identify which service is needed. From there, they will help organize either an in-store appointment or an at-home collection. Currently, this service is available in the brand’s London, Birmingham, and Trafford stores, and is applicable for all shoes, accessories, jewellery, eyewear, and watch batteries.
Finally, as part of the Selfridges Project Earth initiative, they are hosting plenty of online and in-store events, such as panels and debates, where the specific focus is on sustainability and the future of shopping. At each of these events, leaders in their fields will be invited to speak. Selfridges currently has six events scheduled for the fall, including a panel entitled Ethical Consumerism happening on September 18, 2020, and another on Earth-Conscious Beauty slated for September 16, 2020.
Down below are some of the best from Selfridges’ Project Earth initiative offerings.
All images in this article are courtesy of Selfridges.
