M&S becomes first major high street brand to join Dotte resale

M&S Kidswear has announced it has become the first major UK high street retailer to trial the fully circular kidswear peer-to-peer marketplace where parents can buy, sell, donate, and recycle outgrown kidswear – Dotte.

Founded in 2020 by Louise Weiss and Samantha Valentine, Dotte seeks to address the “challenges parents face” when buying second hand, through a digital platform which curates products and incorporates brand partnerships.

The Dotte resale collective is made up of 16 independent and sustainably-minded kidswear brands.

M&S said the trial means that when a Dotte user sells a pre-loved M&S item, with currently over 400 items listed on the site, the user gets an M&S voucher for £5 off when they spend £25 at M&S online.

M&S and Dotte said the partnership will officially launch during the Easter holidays. M&S was introduced to and has invested in the Dotte platform through its joint venture with start-up accelerator Founder’s Factory.

Alice Duggan, head of M&S Kidswear, said: “We design and make our products so that the M&S label means quality – product that can be handed down – because we believe style shouldn’t cost the earth. Pre-loved selling is a growing market and through joining the Dotte resale collective we’re looking forward to learning more from an agile start up and supporting the circular economy.

“Through the platform we also hope to extend our customer reach as we continue to make M&S kidswear more relevant more often for customers and the ‘go to’ destination store and website not just for uniform but for everyday style & value too.”

Valentine said: “As any parent knows, children just don’t stop growing! And all those growth spurts make kidswear one of the fastest areas of fashion, with 183 million items of kids’ clothing going to landfill every year in the UK alone. That’s why we set up Dotte.

“We wanted to give parents a simple way to pass on their clothes to other families, and at the same time recoup some of the money they originally spent and reduce their carbon footprint all in one go.”

She added: “Having a trusted kidswear retailer like M&S onboard signals a huge step change in the industry itself, and the fact that they are rewarding their customers for selling M&S kidswear will encourage so many more families to get involved in the circular economy! We’re so pleased to welcome them.”