Athleta x ThredUp
Case Study
A Masterclass in Customer
Engagement and Circularity
Trade Up event
In an innovative move to deepen customer engagement, amplify brand presence, and drive in-store traffic, Athleta hosted a highly successful one-day legging trade-in event. Now in its second year collaborating with ThredUp for this event, Athleta has built on last year’s success by continuing to promote circular fashion and empowering customers with a convenient way to refresh their wardrobes responsibly.
Impact & Results
10,000+ pairs of leggings collected during the one day event, a powerful show of customer engagement.
All proceeds donated to the Power of She Fund.
In-store traffic spiked, driving new and repeat customer visits.
High social media engagement, with widespread sharing and mentions significantly amplifying brand visibility.
The Strategy
The premise of the event was straightforward yet incredibly effective: customers were invited to bring any pair of leggings, regardless of brand, to an Athleta store and exchange them for a brand-new pair of Athleta Elation leggings. This direct value exchange immediately resonated with consumers, offering a tangible benefit that was hard to resist. By making it a one-day-only event, Athleta skillfully generated a sense of urgency, prompting customers to act quickly to take advantage of the offer.
Foot Traffic and online buzz
The results of the trade-in event were nothing short of remarkable. Long lines formed outside Athleta stores, a clear testament to the event's appeal and the strong desire for the Elation leggings. This surge in foot traffic provided an invaluable opportunity for Athleta to showcase its products, engage with customers directly, and create memorable in-store experiences.
Beyond the physical queues, the event ignited a flurry of activity on social media. Athleta strategically leveraged its own digital channels to build anticipation and keep its community informed. Pre-event, Athleta utilized a mix of Instagram Story posts and in-feed visuals to announce the trade-in, detailing the simple mechanics and highlighting the limited-time nature of the offer.
The brand strategically partnered with relevant fitness and lifestyle influencers who genuinely aligned with Athleta's values. These influencers created authentic content, sharing their personal excitement for the event, demonstrating the trade-in process, and highlighting the quality of the Elation leggings. Their posts, stories, and TikToks reached new audiences, adding another layer of credibility and expanding the event's digital footprint.
Customers enthusiastically joined the online conversation, sharing their experiences, posting about their trade-ins, their new Athleta leggings, and the excitement surrounding the event. This synergistic blend of Athleta's official communications, influencer collaborations, and overwhelming organic social media buzz served as highly effective, authentic marketing. It reached a wide audience, amplified Athleta's message far beyond traditional advertising channels, and created a vibrant digital community around the event.
Sustainability and Social Impact
What truly set this event apart from a typical promotional campaign was its thoughtful integration of sustainability and social responsibility. Over 10,000 pairs of leggings were collected during the one-day event. Instead of ending up in landfills, these items were given a second life through Athleta’s partnership with ThredUp: either resold on ThredUp’s platform or responsibly recycled, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to circular fashion.
Athleta ensured that the positive impact extended to the community. All proceeds generated from the resale of the traded-in leggings were donated to the Power of She Fund. This commitment to giving back resonated deeply with Athleta's values and its customer base, reinforcing the brand's dedication to empowering women and girls.
From idea to impact, let’s turn your brands vision into results. Reach out to our team at RAAS@thredup.com to get started!
About Athleta
Athleta, a Gap Inc. brand and Certified B Corporation, empowers women and girls through thoughtfully designed, versatile, and responsibly made apparel. Rooted in performance-first technical innovation, Athleta delivers activewear that effortlessly transitions from studio to street, supporting every body in sizes XXS–3X, petite and tall. With a deep commitment to social and environmental impact—including inclusive sizing, Fair Trade factories, sustainable materials, and purpose-driven initiatives—Athleta believes in building a stronger world, one empowered move at a time.
About ThredUp
ThredUp is transforming resale with technology and a mission to inspire the world to think secondhand first. By making it easy to buy and sell secondhand, ThredUp has become one of the world's largest online resale platforms for apparel, shoes and accessories. Sellers love ThredUp because we make it easy to clean out their closets and unlock value for themselves or for the charity of their choice while doing good for the planet. Buyers love shopping value, premium and luxury brands all in one place, at up to 90% off estimated retail price. Our proprietary operating platform is the foundation for our managed marketplace and consists of distributed processing infrastructure, proprietary software and systems and data science expertise. With ThredUp’s Resale-as-a-Service, some of the world's leading brands and retailers are leveraging our platform to deliver customizable, scalable resale experiences to their customers. ThredUp has processed over 172 million unique secondhand items from 55,000 brands across 100 categories. By extending the life cycle of clothing, ThredUp is changing the way consumers shop and ushering in a more sustainable future for the fashion industry.