What is Lululemon's Like New programme? Resale date, items that are not accepted, and all about the 3-step process

Lululemon is expanding its Like New programme and bringing it to all U.S. Stores. The trade-in under Lululemon's Like New initiative will start for all stores across the U.S. from April 22, 2022, which also marks Earth Day.

The initiative taken by the label is a trade-in and resale option for either "gently used" or "good as new" products, including accessories and apparel like jackets, t-shirts, tops, tank tops, skirts, shorts, sweatshirts, sweaters, crops, pants, hoodies, leggings, outerwear, dresses, and bags.

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More about the Lululemon's Like New Programme

More about the Like New Trade-in programme ( Image via Lululemon)

The Like New initiative began in May 2021 upon the U.S. website of the label and in-store at 80 different locations spread across Texas and California, and was a successful pilot program prompted by customers with a commitment to sustainable purchasing.

The programme is powered by the resale technology provider Trove, and with the expansion, one can make use of the programme with more than 390 stores across the U.S. Under the programme, one needs to follow three steps

1. To gather your gear- In the first step you need to choose the retailer's pre-loved clothing owned by you, or your family members. The clothing items need to be in a good condition and acceptable for trade in.
2. Trade in at the store- After gathering your clothes, you need to walk down to the nearest retailer store in the U.S. and items which are eligible under the "Gently Used" and "Good as New" categories will be accepted by worker at the site, while the non-eligble clothing can be taken home by you or give it to the store's "Debrand" policy, where they will recycle the clothing for you.
3. Get your gift card- After reviewing of products, which are acceptable for the trade-in, you will get e-gift card, which is redeemable at any store, or on online website. The e-gift card will be added with new points, or money.

For every trade-in item, there is a different point system, i.e., for tees, tank tops, skirts, shorts, and shirts, the e-gift card will be given with $5 for each item.

For sweatshirts, pants, crops, hoodies, dresses, leggings, the card will be redeemed with $10 per item. For accessories like bags, the customer will be given $10 credit, whilst, for outerwear, the customer will be given $25 credit.

While the label has made it clear that most of the pre-loved Lululemon products will be accepted by the store, there are a few items on the list that aren't eligible for trade-ins from the get go. Accessories such as scrunchies, gloves, headbands, mittens, water bottles, socks, shopping bags, mittens, and masks will not be accepted. Other than that,

• Yoga Props such as straps, mats, and blocks.
• Intimates such as bodysuits, underwear, and bras.
• lululemon collaborations such as Barry’s, Roksanda, etc.
• Swimsuits and Rash Guards
• Selfcare Products for e.g. hand sanitizers, cleanser, moisturizer, etc.
• Lastly, Ivivva product also won't be accepted by the stores.

According to the label, after the "overwhelming response" from the trial run, which started in May 2021, the expansion was a "natural next step" to continue the new initiative. The brand reinvests 100% of its profit to support it's goal to make 100% of its products sustainable and end-of-use solutions by 2030.

In a press release, Celeste Burgoyne, president of Americas and Global Guest Innovation at the label said,

“At Lululemon, we’re deeply committed to creating quality products built to last and that are better for people and the planet. Bringing Lululemon ‘Like New’ to all US guests is a major step toward a circular eco-system and achieving our Impact Agenda goals to reduce our environmental footprint. We’ve seen incredible momentum from our pilot programme, and we look forward to welcoming new guests nationwide."

Under the Like New programme, customers can also head to the official website, likenew.lululemon.com, where they can buy from a selection of pre-loved items. More items on the page are added every day to give customers a look at the recycled products with reduced prices and a wider selection.

Prior to the official launch date in-store, multiple items were listed on the site, with 10,960 pre-loved items in women's clothing and 2,592 items in the men's section at the time of writing.

The move is part of the label's multi-year impact agenda strategy and can help people reduce waste. Lulemon's re-commerce site will officially launch on April 22, 2022 on Earth Day.