n initiative that allows customers to resell, rent, or recycle their preloved items with one click.  “What we’re trying to do with AirRobe is take resell out of that niche, and make it accessible to everyone,” Comazzetto told Inside Retail.  “The resale market is expected to grow five times in the next five years, so fashion brands and retailers really can’t ignore it. They’ll fall behind the competition if they do.” It didn’t take long to convince The Iconic CEO Erica Berchtold and COO Anna Lee about the power of resale, Comazzetto said.  “It took a while to get that meeting, but five minutes in they really resonated with our product, particularly because it integrates really seamlessly with the customer journey,” she said.   According to Berchtold, it’s a “game-changing” partnership.  “Together we join forces to accelerate the circular fashion movement, by providing customers with a seamless solution to shop more responsibly, extend the life cycle of their preloved fashion items and reduce the overall cost of their garments. This milestone brings us one step closer to addressing industry-wide sustainability challenges, and further demonstrates our commitment to becoming the most planet positive retailer in ANZ,” she said in a statement.  How The Iconic x AirRobe Circular Wardrobe works Apparel, shoes and certain accessories can be rented, recycled and resold via the Circular Wardrobe. A key selling point is the ease of use for the customer. Images, product descriptions and suggested price are all taken care of by AirRobe  “We have a resale value algorithm that estimates what the resale price will be in the future,” Comazzetto said. On the product details page of select items on The Iconic, the customer is advised that if they make a purchase, they have the option to resell down the track. The customer goes through the checkout process as usual and on the confirmation page they have the option to view their AirRobe account which will show them the item that they have just bought as well as previously purchased items. “There we report what’s in your wardrobe, the total estimated resale value available, how much money earned previously as well as the carbon emissions avoided,” Comazzetto explained.  In one click, customers can opt to repurpose their item and AirRobe facilitates the resale, rental, recycling, or donation of the product.  “We partner with donation stores and recycling specialists, and because we’ve got all the information about the product, including when it was purchased, we can curate what goes through those donation partners, so they don’t get bombarded with clothing.” “We give them the upper echelon of items and then the remaining items we match with recycle partnerships.” AirRobe has measures in place to ensure that the items returned match the description of the seller, including escrow payments, authenticity guarantees as well as a ratings and review system.  Tapping into gen Z spending power Comazzetto believes resale presents an “incredible market opportunity” for retailers and that it will put them in a stronger position for the future.  “We want to help fashion brands and retailers to attract gen Z and millennial consumers and really future proof their business to make sure they’re improving customer loyalty and improving e-commerce metrics,” she said.  “We’re seeing millennial and gen Z spending power going through the roof, and sustainability and buying secondhand is also so important to these shoppers. Today, 66 per cent of consumers plan to shift their spend to more sustainable brands.” About 18 retailers are now live with AirRobe, and the business has recently extended into kidswear and menswear.