Beyond Retro bolsters in-store exchange programme with Lucy & Yak partnership

Beyond Retro is continuing to bolster its in-store exchange programme by partnering directly with independent Brighton-based fashion brand Lucy & Yak.

The new Re:Yak Partnership is launching on 22 March, 2022 and will allow customers to drop off a piece of Lucy & Yak clothing at one of Beyond Retro's UK stores and receive a voucher that can be used to purchase new products with the brand. If an item is re-sold, participants will also receive a Beyond Retro credit voucher. Items that are not able to be resold will be responsibly recycled through Love Not Landfill, and means that participants will not receive a voucher for Beyond Retro.

The programme is meant to extend the lifespan of clothing and help keep them out of landfill, reflecting both Beyond Retro's and Lucy & Yak's sustainability ambitions and efforts to encourage customers to shop with circular values in mind.

Following on from this partnership, Lucy & Yak will also be launching a pop-up in Bristol on 26 March, 2022 that includes a space where customers can repair, recirculate and up-cycle the clothes they no longer wear. The brand was founded in 2017 and has garnered a large following on social media with its signature dungarees and colourful prints.

The second-hand retailer initially launched its in-store exchange programme in September 2021 across its UK and Sweden stores, allowing customers to exchange their preloved pieces for 20% of the selling price as a gift card. In April 2021 it partnered with Converse to divert about 7,000 tropical shirts from landfill and transform them into one-a-kind Converse Chuck 70's. 

Lucy Greenwood, co-founder of Lucy & Yak, said: “We believe for a brand to truly call themselves sustainable, they must take full responsibility for the full lifecycle of their product. At Lucy & Yak we have always thought big when it comes to circularity, but as a small, fast growing business, resource and space limits what we are able to achieve on our own; collaboration is key to solving the problems of this industry. This is why we are so grateful to everyone at Beyond Retro for working with us to make this exciting collaboration a genuinely useful project that helps our community minimise fashion’s negative impacts, and extends the life of our clothing."

Kate Peter, Beyond Retro Director, added: “We've always loved Lucy & Yak, and we're really excited to launch this fantastic, sustainable-led partnership. Our Beyond Retro Exchange programme is focused on encouraging our customers to recycle their wardrobe, and we're thrilled to be able to join forces with Lucy & Yak to extend the life of their amazing product. We can't wait to have recycled Yaks available to shop alongside our handpicked vintage in store, and look forward to working with Lucy & Yak to encourage a more circular lifestyle.”