Editor’s note: this post was originally published July 2023 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
In a world where sustainability is becoming increasingly crucial, companies are continuously seeking innovative ways to reduce waste and give items a second or even third life. Toad&Co, a lifestyle apparel brand, has wholeheartedly embraced the next generation of resale. With a focus on circularity and customer satisfaction, the brand has leveraged the full suite of Archive’s solutions to provide multiple channels for customers to breathe new life into their products, ensuring they stay out of landfills and find new owners who appreciate their value.
Toad&Co kicked off their circularity initiatives with the launch of their online resale marketplace, ToadAgain, in April 2023. Powered by Archive, the platform enables customers to connect and exchange pre-loved items directly with one another and offers users a wide array of quality secondhand goods, promoting circularity within their customer community. The marketplace also features brand-owned inventory, giving the brand an outlet to keep items like samples and returns in circulation.
The online marketplace was just the beginning for ToadAgain. With an objective to make it just as easy to buy pre-loved items as it was to buy new ones, the brand launched a ToadAgain Trade In program, which offers an additional channel for customers to keep used products in circulation. Leveraging Archive’s mail-in solutions, customers can send their pre-loved items directly to Toad&Co’s warehouse with a prepaid shipping label to receive store credit. Toad&Co uses Archive’s proprietary ReInventory solution, the most efficient single-SKU operations technology that identifies, conditions, photographs, and routes for resale, recycling, or donation.
Since launching ToadAgain, the program has received an outpouring of positive feedback from customers. As shoppers take more interest in sustainable shopping options, resale has been shown to drive loyalty and LTV of customers.
“Just wanted to pass along my gratitude for your new ToadAgain program…You were already my favorite brand - for many reasons, but sustainability was a big one. Now, with this program, I have a way to rehome my favorite pieces of years past and they maintain their value! Keep up the awesome work!”
Toad&Co's holistic approach to resale, combining P2P, brand-owned inventory, and Trade In with in-house processing, exemplifies how forward-thinking brands are thinking about circularity. The brand sees this as an ever evolving business unit, continuing to add new features and functionality that supports changing consumer behaviors and feedback. Archive is proud to power ToadAgain and to partner with Toad&Co to promote circularity, “all in the name of less in the landfill.”
In October 2023, Toad&Co introduced the ToadAgain auction feature, which is designed to give dedicated customers the chance to explore and purchase rare and vintage Toad&Co pieces. To kick off this new initiative, the brand drew inspiration from their rich history with fleece and chose to place 15 one-of-a-kind heritage fleeces up for auction, with 20% of the proceeds being donated to Wilderness Injury, an organization committed to connecting people of all ages, backgrounds, identities, and abilities through shared outdoor adventures.
This auctioning feature represents the next phase in Toad&Co Again's comprehensive resale program. Going forward, the brand plans to regularly release vintage items and use this latest feature to highlight various product categories or showcase particularly unique and highly sought-after items.
“We're so excited about the positive reactions we've received from customers," said Gordan Seabury, Toad&Co CEO. "We are seeing repeat customers, as well as customers shopping both resale and regular products. We hope these auctions help raise awareness of our resale program and momentum continues to grow."
Sell and Shop ToadAgain
