Marks & Spencer is making a play for cultural and commercial relevance by stepping deeper into resale. Its new eBay store, launched under the “Another Life” scheme, takes the brand’s long-standing shwopping initiative into a platform that actually matches where resale culture lives. With Oxfam still in the loop and customers incentivised with £5 vouchers, the move signals how high street stalwarts are adapting to an economy where newness isn’t the only flex.
đź“Š Supporting Stats
M&S has already collected 36.5m secondhand garments since the launch of its recycling scheme.
Depop sales surged 35% YoY to $250m in Q2 2025, putting it on track for $1bn annually (Etsy).
Vinted reported a 41% rise in sales to €813m in 2024, with profits almost tripling (Vinted).
The UK throws away roughly 700,000 tonnes of clothes annually (UK govt).
🧠Decision: Does It Work?
Strategically, yes - but with caveats. M&S aligning with eBay feels like the right cultural handshake: it takes the brand beyond charity bins and into a resale economy that Gen Z and Millennials actually engage with. The partnership also lets M&S test the waters before committing to resale in its own channels. However, the voucher mechanic risks being too transactional. Will consumers see it as authentic circularity or just a dressed-up voucher scheme? That’s where credibility is won or lost.
đź“Ś Key Takeouts
đź‘• M&S opens a secondhand eBay store, powered by Reskinned and in partnership with Oxfam.
📦 Customers donating with at least one M&S item get a £5 voucher (online-only).
♻️ The initiative builds on M&S’s 36.5m garments collected since its original shwopping launch.
đź’» M&S joins the resale economy alongside Depop, Vinted, H&M, and Zara.
⚠️ Strength: ties a heritage retailer to resale culture.
⚠️ Weak spot: risks looking like discount mechanics rather than a true sustainability play.
đź”® What We Can Expect Next
If the eBay partnership lands, expect M&S to migrate resale into its own platforms - perhaps even piloting in-store preloved concessions, echoing what H&M and Selfridges have already trialled. The resale market is expanding fast, but fatigue is real: consumers are becoming savvy about “greenwashing resale” where brands use circularity as a marketing veneer. For M&S, authenticity will come down to consistency — ensuring resale is not a side hustle but a real, embedded part of its fashion strategy.