Digital fashion outlet Otrium has partnered with Bleckmann, experts in supply chain management for fashion and lifestyle brands, to launch a garment refurbishment and repair programme for damaged returns.
"Preventing waste is an important part of Otrium's DNA, and thanks to our partnership with Bleckmann and their Renewal Workshop team, we can now repair the majority of damaged returns and put them back into circulation," said Kevin Carolan, Director of Logistics at Otrium.
"We are happy that we can use our position in the fashion supply chain to create lasting change and accelerate towards our mission of reducing the volume of garments that go to landfill."
Earlier this year, the companies started a three-month pilot at Bleckmann's facility in the Netherlands to expand the programme with a broader range of repairs and optimised processes through data use.
"With hundreds of high-end labels on the platform, we needed an efficient solution tailored to the needs of a wide range of products, from shoes and coats to bags," explained Marlot Kiveron, Head of Sustainability at Otrium.
"The Renewal Workshop team worked closely with us to develop a streamlined and scalable process that could grow in line with our ambitions, delivering like-new repairs at the speed of e-commerce. Their combination of purpose, professionalism, agility and expertise makes them the ideal partner for this kind of project."
Bleckmann's integrated data capabilities were also crucial to the partnership's success. The advanced stock tracking systems determined that 70 percent of the renewed Otrium stock had been sold within seven weeks.
By the end of 2023, Otrium aims to repair at least 25,000 damaged garments. With Bleckmann and their renewal experts, they want to prove that this circular business model can be valuable to future growth.
