One notable thing about the resale industry is, ironically enough, just how new much of it is. It’s especially true with branded resale, as evidenced by brands as prominent as New Balance and Zara launching e-commerce resale sites in 2024, with more certain to do so in the year ahead.

So let us dust off the pre-loved crystal ball and, with the help of two industry leaders, predict what lies ahead for the next trip around the sun.

New legislation will be a tailwind for resale

Right-to-repair laws that require brands to manufacture items in a way that consumers and repair shops can fix them when they break have passed in eight states as of 2024, including in Oregon and Colorado, and legislation was introduced in 30 total states last year, according to the Public Interest Research Group.

Along with diverting electronic devices from landfills, extending their life also avails them to the resale market, which is why an electronics resale marketplace like Back Market champions the laws, and is advocating for more states to pass laws in the upcoming year.

Keep reading here.—AAN

After a year of retailers touting price cuts and affordability, the 2024 holiday season saw only a modest increase in discounting, according to a new report from Salesforce. The average discount rate for the season hit 23% in the US, which was up just 1% from the year before.

• Yet some categories were more promotional, with a 33% average discount for general apparel, 29% for health and beauty, and 18% for home goods and decor.

Salesforce also found that an increasing number of shoppers are turning to loyalty programs, which is good news for retailers looking to attract and retain customers without marking down their merchandise. In a survey, the company found that 72% of US shoppers said loyalty programs made them more likely to stick with a brand.

Keep reading here.—AV

When they were unwrapped, they looked like slippers and train sets and air fryers, but here’s what much of them look like to retailers about now: boomerangs.

With returns, after all, many of those gifts are making their way back to retailers, with an estimated 16.9% of purchases returned in 2024, more than twice the 8.1% rate in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to an annual report from the National Retail Federation and Happy Returns, the UPS-owned logistics company.

And while retailers typically have hired seasonal workers only until they stop piping “Jingle Bells” through their stores, these days they also hire up for Q1 for the returns onslaught.

Keep reading here.—AAN