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Powering
circular
retail

Tern helps retailers unlock circularity through trade-in
Get in touch

How it works

Selecting a item for trade-in

Trade-in

Customers select items to trade-in from their purchase history
Trade-in items packaged up

Send back

Integrated logistics make it easy to ship and receipt trade-in items
Store credit discount voucher

Receive credit

Once the trade-in is received, customer credit is issued
Arrows circling the Earth

Extend life

Circular models keep goods in use for as long as possible

How it works

Selecting a item for trade-in

Trade-in

Customers select items to trade-in from their purchase history
Trade-in items packaged up

Send back

Integrated logistics make it easy to ship and receipt trade-in items
Store credit discount voucher

Receive credit

Once the trade-in is received, customer credit is issued
Arrows circling the Earth

Extend life

Circularity keeps goods in use for as long as possible
“Waste isn't waste until we waste it.”
Will.I.Am
An illustration of an Artic Tern in flight.

Why trade-in?

Clouds against the blue sky.

A Circular Future

Awareness of the climate crisis has led to a shift in consumer behaviour, driving innovation in retail and new circular models.

Resale. Recycling. Rental. Refills. Repair.

The Circular Economy aims to eliminate waste by keeping products (and the materials they are made from) in use for as long as possible.

Being circular requires taking ownership of what you make. It starts with trade-in.
Close up of someone's hands as they chisel away on wood.

Product Lifecycle

Taking ownership of your post-consumer product provides the best opportunity to understand your product’s durability, use and wear - informing future design and development.

These products can be used to feed your own regenerative supply chain through upcycling, recycling and disassembly for spare parts.

Extend product lifecycle and reduce waste.
Group of people with hands in the middle.

CRM

Offering a trade-in programme gives customers greater confidence in their purchase and your brand - from the start.

It also has the potential to drive purchase frequency, stretch in spend and Lifetime Customer Value through the redemption of trade-in credit.

Create customer advocates, grow loyalty and sales.
A blue paper bag.

Fuel Resale

Resale is now the fastest growing sector of retail and it is set to hit $77B by 2025, doubling over the next 5 years. As a growth channel it has the potential to both attract new and retain existing customers.

Directly managing your pre-owned inventory and sales gives you the greatest control over your brand in the secondary market - from quantity and quality to distribution and price.

Keep customers in your eco-system. Protect your brand.

Why trade-in?

A Circular Future

Awareness of the climate crisis has led to a shift in consumer behaviour, driving innovation in retail and new circular models.

Resale. Recycling. Rental. Refills. Repair.

The Circular Economy aims to eliminate waste by keeping products (and the materials they are made from) in use for as long as possible.

Being circular requires taking ownership of what you make. It starts with trade-in.
Clouds against the blue sky.

Product Lifecycle Innovation

Taking ownership of your post-consumer product provides the best opportunity to understand your product’s durability, use and wear - informing future design and development.

These products can be used to feed your own regenerative supply chain through upcycling, recycling and disassembly for spare parts.

Extend product lifecycle and reduce waste.
Close up of someone's hands as they chisel away on wood.

Create customer advocates, grow loyalty and sales

Offering a trade-in programme gives customers greater confidence in their purchase and your brand - from the start.

It also has the potential to drive customer retention and lifetime value through the redemption of trade-in credit.
Group of people with hands in the middle.

The Rise of Resale

Resale is now the fastest growing sector of retail and it is set to hit $77B by 2025, doubling over the next 5 years. As a growth channel it has the potential to both attract new and retain existing customers.

Directly managing your pre-owned inventory and sales gives you the greatest control over your brand in the secondary market - from quantity and quality to distribution and price.

Keep customers in your eco-system. Protect your brand.
A blue paper bag.

Key features

A mouse pointer clicking on a button that reads 'Add app'.
Plug & play

Download and go. The tern trade-in app seamlessly connects to any Shopify store.

Simply set up your profile, select the products you want to make eligible, use our dynamic pricing engine to calculate the trade-in value and take your programme live.

Rules-based pricing

With the ability to set pricing and eligibility rules for all of your products, the tern trade-in app gives you full control.

Our dynamic pricing engine makes it easy to manage the flow of goods, and can be adjusted to meet your margin and sales goals.

Publishing the trade in value upfront means your customers know exactly how much credit they will receive.

An amount of store credit being shown next to a previously purchased item.
An illustration of a trade-in package and its shipping notifications.
Integrated logistics

With our built-in shipping solution, you'll know as soon as a trade-in has been placed and exactly what product to expect back.

Integrated logistics offer the ability to share, pass on, or absorb the cost of trade-in shipping.

Customers simply select the carrier option that best suits them without needing to request a label or wait for a bag - a waste free option, that’s also fast!

Rich data & analytics

Track and measure the direct impact that trade-in has on your business through the tern data dashboard.

From the average age of trade-in product to credit redemption rates and sales, the app has been designed to give complete visibility of performance.

A pie chart demonstrating the data available to merchants that use the app.

Key Features

A mouse pointer clicking on a button that reads 'Add app'.
Plug & play

Download and go. The tern trade-in app seamlessly connects to any Shopify store.

Simply set up your profile, select the products you want to make eligible, use our dynamic pricing engine to calculate the trade-in value and take your programme live.

An amount of store credit being shown next to a previously purchased item.
Rules-based pricing

With the ability to set pricing and eligibility rules for all of your products, the tern trade-in app gives you full control.

Our dynamic pricing engine makes it easy to manage the flow of goods, and can be adjusted to meet your margin and sales goals.

Publishing the trade in value upfront means your customers know exactly how much credit they will receive.

An illustration of a trade-in package and its shipping notifications.
Integrated logistics

With our built-in shipping solution, you'll know as soon as a trade-in has been placed and exactly what product to expect back.

Integrated logistics offer the ability to share, pass on, or absorb the cost of trade-in shipping.

Customers simply select the carrier option that best suits them without needing to request a label or wait for a bag - a waste free option, that’s also fast!

A pie chart demonstrating the data available to merchants that use the app.
Rich data & analytics

Track and measure the direct impact that trade-in has on your business through the tern data dashboard.

From the average age of trade-in product to credit redemption rates and sales, the app has been designed to give complete visibility of performance.

Plug & play

Directly integrate the tern app into your store in a matter of minutes.

With an easy rules-based set-up, you’ll have your trade-in program up and running in no time.

A mouse pointer clicking on a button that reads 'Add app'.

Rules-based pricing

Rules based trade-in value set using our pricing engine means your customer knows exactly how much credit they will receive.

No waiting for items to sell or ambiguity over the credit amount.

An amount of store credit being shown next to a previously purchased item.

Integrated logistics

Integrated logistics offer the ability to share, pass on, or absorb the cost of trade-in shipping.

Additionally, you can set a minimum trade-in value to further manage costs and environmental impact.

An illustration of a trade-in package and its shipping notifications.

Rich data & analytics

With built in analytics you can track the direct impact that trade-in has on your business.

From the average age of product coming back to trade-in credit redemption, you have complete visibility of performance.

A pie chart demonstrating the data available to merchants that use the app.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
Mark Twain

Pricing

Starter

$49.99

Standard

$99.99

Pro

$249.99

Starter

$49.99

Standard

$99.99

Pro

$249.99

FAQs

Is the tern trade-in app only for fashion retailers?
Absolutely not! The tern trade-in app currently works for any retailer on Shopify selling a physical product. Toys, books, beauty, homeware - use your imagination. Our only limitation is the parcel weight – currently 20kg.
If I make products to last, should I really be encouraging trade-in?
Durable product doesn’t have to last forever, nor does it have to have a single owner. Trade-in gives customers a responsible way to extend the life and use of products they no longer want or need - and we think that’s the very best way to make them last.
What do I do with product that’s been traded-in?
Retailers currently using the tern trade-in app, resell, recycle or upcycle the product they receive back. Whether you know exaclty what you want to do - or not, the best way to learn is to get started: see what customers trade-in, the state of the goods and use this insight to help shape the future of your circular business model.
How many trade-ins should I expect?
Trade-in volumes vary depending on the size of your business, what you sell, and the amount of credit you offer your customers.

As a general rule of thumb, the more generous you are with your offer pricing, the more product you’re likely to receive.

Not everyone’s goals are the same - but our dynamic pricing tool allows you to adjust the offer price and control the flow of trade-in product, optimising the programme to meet your needs.
How do you know what condition the trade-in product will be in?
The short answer is: we don't. Our aim is to make trade-in as frictionless as possible - for both the retailer and customer.

Assessing item condition is subjective and quickly becomes a barrier for trade-in. A fixed offer value, regardless of condition, means the customer knows exactly what they will receive, with no haggling and no ambiguity.

Some of the items you receive back will be in great condition, others won't - and we always advise pricing with this variability in mind, particularly if you plan to resell.

Ultimately, though, it's your programme and your choice how to run it. Credit is issued once you receive the goods; so if you want to require a particular condition, that’s entirely up to you. You can always adjust the credit value after receiving the trade-in.
Young person at a climate protest holding up a sign that reads, 'there is no planet B'.

Ready to make waste a thing of the past?

Contact us