Kuyichi, an organic denim brand with a simple stance—’timeless essentials, fairly made, to last’—is one of four brands launching a circular business model this year with the support of Circle Economy.

The customer need

The Kuyichi resale business model serves two different customer needs. The take-back programme offers loyal Kuyichi customers who want to consciously clear out their closets an easy way to give their old denims a new life. Meanwhile, the upcycled resale collections aim to attract a younger generation who are in search of unique items with a cool story and values they can get behind. 

The business case

Kuyichi see resale as a natural extension of their current model and believe that they will gain plenty of non-financial value from it. So the model in itself does not need to drive revenue growth—it just needs to sustain itself. To this end, their focus is to start with small volumes and grow the model over time.

The expected positive impact

For a brand like Kuyichi—which keeps sustainability at the core of their business—a resale model is a natural extension and a way to change customers’ behavior and mindsets when it comes to garment care and disposal. By offering a take-back scheme for denims, they hope to divert their products from landfill. Through their upcycling collaborations, they also aim to demonstrate the inherent, long lasting value of their products.

Read the full case study on the Circular Toolbox website: thecirculartoolbox.com/case/kuyichi