lululemon athletica inc. and Archive, the global technology company powering branded resale businesses, announced Monday the launch of Like New in Canada. Like New is lululemon’s branded resale program, and its expansion into Canada offers guests an iteration of the program with new ways to buy and sell pre-loved lululemon products and keep the brand’s high-quality items in circulation, said the retailer.
“Our products are created with high standards for technical performance and quality, which makes them perfectly suited for life well beyond a single owner,” said Maureen Erickson, Senior Vice President of Retail Experience at lululemon. “Like New extends the life of that product, giving guests a trusted way to keep great gear in use while discovering lululemon in a new way—as they move, sweat and connect, again and again.”
The Canadian launch follows strong growth for Like New in the U.S., where the program has given hundreds of thousands of items a second life over the past year. Bringing Like New to Canada extends that momentum to where lululemon was founded and deepens the brand’s commitment to extending the life of its products. Canadian guests will also be able to shop the program in English and French, said the company in a news release.
“What lululemon has built with Like New is a great example of how branded resale has become an integral, scalable channel for retail brands,” said Emily Gittins, CEO and Co-Founder of Archive. “Bringing the program to Canada reflects strong momentum and opens a new source of second-hand supply to meet growing demand, while continuing to invest in a resale business that scales alongside the brand.”
At launch, Canadian guests will take part by buying and selling pre-owned lululemon items directly with one another on the Like New platform. Guests can list their own gently used lululemon products and shop a selection of pre-owned items in a fully lululemon-branded experience. Unlike third-party resale marketplaces, Like New allows lululemon to guide the overall guest experience, from merchandising to how product is displayed on the e-comm site, and peer-to-peer gives guests the autonomy to determine how to showcase their product. As one of the most resold brands in retail, lululemon offers sellers a way to capture more value from their products while giving buyers a trusted source for authentic items, explained the retailer.
To mark the launch, lululemon Like New will host a limited-time mail-in trade-in event from September 14 to 21, giving guests a dedicated window to send in eligible pre-owned lululemon items in exchange for credit toward a future purchase. More details can be found around the mail-in trade-in window on the website, it said.
“Since launching Like New in 2021, the program has scaled from a two-state pilot to a U.S.-wide offering and now expands into Canada. Like New has proven to be an impactful discovery tool, often serving as the first touchpoint for new guests, especially value-conscious shoppers trying lululemon for the first time. At the same time, lululemon’s guests remain engaged, enjoying opportunities to trade in product, and hunt for exclusive finds,” added the brand.
“In the U.S., lululemon recently expanded Like New to let guests buy and sell pre-owned lululemon products directly with one another on the platform, alongside the program’s existing U.S. channels including mail-in and in-store trade-in and product sourced from lululemon’s own operations.”
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