Most resale initiatives never scale past the pilot stage. Based on findings from the 2025 CFIN report, we break down why and how your brand can finally move from testing to a full circular program with Tern.
The 2025 Circular Fashion Innovation Network (CFIN) report reveals a telling truth:
78% of resale initiatives in the UK are still in pilot phase.
Despite bold sustainability goals and strong customer appetite for circularity, brands are finding it difficult to move beyond small-scale tests. There’s momentum - but also hesitation.
CFIN identifies a few big themes:
- Operational complexity: Brands rely heavily on third-party platforms, making it hard to integrate resale into core systems
- Lack of infrastructure: Takeback and resale require reverse logistics, pricing tools, and condition assessments most teams aren’t built for
- Customer experience gaps: Without the right journey and incentives, uptake stalls
- Internal misalignment: Siloed teams and shifting priorities slow progress
And yet - 81% of brands have circularity in their five-year strategies. The ambition is there. What’s missing is the system to make it scalable.
At Tern, we’ve built a circular retail platform that gives brands the tools they need to scale their pilots through their own channels, with total ownership - online, in-store, or both.
An incredible flexible service that supports a test & learn approach, with:
- Data capture on both the product and the customer
- Control over program design from defining eligibility criteria to determining what happens to the product
- Easily editable trade-in values to optimise for profit
- Rules based trade-in incentives (discounts or gift cards) that meet program goals
- A customisable front-end experience with a no-code WYSIWYG editor
- Team roles and access controls across HQ, stores, and partners
Let’s grow the future of retail together. Contact us hello@tern.eco
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Explore the full CFIN 2025 Report
Let’s grow the future of retail together. Contact us hello@tern.eco
Follow us on Instagram for more circular tips
Explore the full CFIN 2025 Report
