Fashion’s Sustainability Push Brings Green Cred But Little Money

Resale has quickly emerged as the initiative of choice for fashion brands looking to lower their carbon, plastic and water footprints—or at least in some instances to convince green-conscious shoppers that they’re trying. But here’s the rub: So far even savvy brands such as Patagonia or Shein haven’t figured out how to make secondhand selling account for more than a tiny fraction of their profits.

More than 100 apparel retailers have started in-house resale platforms within the past two years, with 88 new programs last year alone, according to data from ThredUp Inc., which both operates an online ...