Dec 10, 2025
In this episode
Ecotextile Talks host Philip Berman speaks with ThredUp’s Chief Strategy Officer Alon Rotem about the company’s “resale as a service” model, from white-lable branded resale shops to multi-brand clean-out schemes that can turn underused wardrobes into store credit.
They discuss what the real driver is for consumers, how ThredUp’s distribution centres work at scale, why brands decide to plug into this infrastructure than trying to build it themselves.
Circularity, policy and impact
They also discuss what happens to the garments that do not sell, ThredUp’s aftermarket partners, and what % of items entering its ecosystem end up without a second life.
Philip and Alon also look at how California’s new extended producer responsibility law could accelerate brand adoption of circular business models.
AI and the road to 2029
Alon shares ThredUp’s latest financial trajectory, the company’s decade-long investment in technology, and how AI could transform the consumer experience of the resale sector, and potentially help them to finally return a profit after going public in 2021.
Links mentioned in the podcast
ThredUp's 2025 annual impact report
ThredUp's quarterly financial filings
British Vogue reporting on Yale's study about second-hand shoppers
This episode is presented in association with Techtextil North America, the premier trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens, taking place from 4–6 August 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina.