H&M trials clothing rental for the first time

H&M is to trial clothing rental for the first time, offering customers the chance to hire selected party dresses and skirts from its 2012-2019 sustainable Conscious Exclusive collections.

The trial is taking place in the global fashion giant's Sergels Torg store in Stockholm, which is due to reopen following a refurbishment at the end of November, where the rental space also offers a few unique pieces designed with inspiration from this autumn’s Conscious Exclusive collection.

Members of the scheme will be able to book a time at the rental space where a stylist will offer a personalised experience, helping them select the piece they can rent for a week. Members can rent up to three pieces a time at a cost of around SEK350 (around £28) per piece.

The store will also offer repair services with an atelier where customers can get their fashion favourites mended or upgraded in a bid to further encourage a circular fashion economy.

Pascal Brun, Head of Sustainability at H&M said: “We have looked at clothing rental for quite some time and are so happy to for the first time soon offer fashion fans the possibility to rent some stunning pieces from our Conscious Exclusive collections. We look forward to evaluating this as we are dedicated to change the way fashion is made and consumed today.”

A number of online businesses have sprung up in recent years dedicated to offering rental services, such as Hirestreet, MyWardrobeHQ, HURR Collective and The Endless Wardrobe in the UK. But increasingly major global brands are also exploring the rental market, including Banana Republic and Urban Outfitters, which recently unveiled its rental service Nuuly.

Hiring clothes is becoming increasingly popular among young consumers who wish to shop more sustainably. A recent study of British fashion shoppers carried out by TheIndustry.fashion, entitled, Reuse, Recycle & Rental: how sutainability concerns are shaking up the way we shop, found that 9% of consumers would shop from a rental service in a bid to me more sustainable but this figure rose to 18% of 25-34 year olds.

Source: Reuse, Recycle & Rental: how sutainability concerns are shaking up the way we shop, from TheIndustry.fashion, August 2019

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