Eileen Fisher’s Renew Brand Logs 3 Million Items Returned

BusinessRetailEileen Fisher’s Renew Brand Logs 3 Million Items ReturnedBySharon Edelson,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about retail and the forces that are redefining shopping.Follow AuthorJun 08, 2026, 12:06pm EDTA selection of garments from Eileen Fisher's circular brand, Renew.COURTESY OF EILEEN FISHEREileen Fisher has come full circle.The company’s Renew take-back program reached a milestone of 3 million items returned. Renew, Fisher’s circular label, is made up of donations of clothing and other products from earlier seasons. Customers get a $5 credit per piece, which by the company’s own admission, isn’t much, but speaks to the interest in sustainability among shoppers. Launched in 2009, Eileen Fisher Renew was one of the earliest brand-led resale programs in the fashion industry. It helped set a new standard for circularity and paved the way for broader industry adoption.In a sign of Renew’s growth, sweaters and bottoms will be integrated later this summer into Eileen Fisher’s main e-commerce site, creating a more seamless online shopping experience where new and old are sold side-by-side. Online resale is complicated because the company sells pieces from as far back as 1986. “There’s a commitment to integrating Renew into Eileen Fisher online, which involves looking at every style,” said Lilah Horwitz, director of Renew content and marketing. “It’s a very manual effort.” MORE FOR YOUWhat started as a way to extend the life cycle of clothing has inspired innovative ways of rethinking waste, maximizing material use, and designing for a more sustainable future in fashion. “We thought what if we buy clothes from our customers and refurbish them,” said Horwitz. “Renew was ruled a 4501C3 in the beginning. It wasn’t a real non-profit. It started as a way to raise money for the Eileen Fisher Women and Girls Initiative and bloomed into this important circular program.”Circular Apparel Market Hits...