Ever wonder what happens to your favorite leggings after you donate them?
This is the story of a single pair of Lululemon leggings as they journey from donation to delivery. Along the way, you’ll see how secondhand retail really works. We’ll reveal how the right tools and services help resale businesses streamline workflows, diversify revenue, and support their mission.
The Drop-Off & Evaluation
A donated item’s next chapter begins here.
A stylish, pre-loved pair of Lululemon leggings lands in a local donation bin, ready for its next owner. From there, it’s off to the warehouse, where sorting teams get to work. Every donated item is inspected for brand, wear, and damage. High-value and fast-selling brands like Lululemon are flagged early for online resale. Listing the right items online helps nonprofits earn more and give back more. They can then reinvest more into their communities and grow their mission.
Having a robust quality assurance (QA) process is key. Whether you’re handling clothing, electronics, or home goods, establishing clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) ensures consistency and prevents errors. Each product category should have its own quality guide. This includes visual standards for condition, packaging, and shipping.
Lululemon is consistently a top performer online. In Upright’s 2024 Brand Analysis, it ranked 11th in total items sold (35,318 units) and 17th in average price per item ($20.01).
Listed for Sale
Once the leggings pass inspection and are selected for e-commerce, it’s time for their close-up. An e-commerce team member takes high-quality photos, measures the leggings, and gathers all the key item attributes to build a transparent, detailed product listing.
Upright Lister offers Builder Templates to make listing faster and more accurate. These templates ensure every detail, from fabric type to inseam, is captured consistently across all listings. On average, Upright users see a 20-25% improvement in time-to-list with Builder Templates.
Next comes product research and data-driven pricing. Before an item is listed for sale, teams research rarity, supply and demand, and current selling prices. This ensures the leggings move quickly and profitably.
Upright Lister’s Repricing Engine uses real-time market data to automatically adjust pricing, helping organizations stay competitive and increase margins. Advanced Business Analytics, also provided by Lister, offers insights into top-performing items, category trends, and pricing strategies.
Once the selling price is confirmed, the Lululemon leggings are published online!
E-commerce opens the door to a massive online audience. With 93% of Americans shopping online for secondhand items, the more platforms your listings appear on, the better your chances of making a sale.
Upright Lister’s multi-channel listing lets you seamlessly publish your product inventory to top e-commerce marketplaces like eBay, ShopGoodwill, Shopify, and more.
Automated relisting, purging, and item tracking keep listings fresh, remove unsold inventory, and ensure item statuses stay current. With these features within Lister handling the backend, your team can focus on sourcing, fulfillment, and strategy.
Storage
After the Lululemon leggings are listed online, they’re placed in a clean, organized warehouse where they’ll stay until sold. This storage placement is part of a thoroughly-planned system that keeps operations running efficiently. Leading resale teams optimize every square foot of storage space wisely.
A well-run, resale warehouse starts with dynamic inventory management and smart layout design. Adopting the 5S methodology keep storage spaces clean, labeled, and optimized:
- Sort
- Set in Order
- Shine
- Standardize
- Sustain
Clear signage, color-coded zones, and documented SOPs make it easy for staff to navigate around the warehouse and stay efficient.
Storage should be flexible. Mobile, modular shelving allows layouts to evolve as your business grows. Instead of bolting equipment to the floor, opt for units that can be reconfigured to meet changing inventory needs.
For peak efficiency, engineer a lean, U-shaped product flow. Items should move in sequence from receiving to QA to storage to fulfillment to shipping. This reduces backtracking and keeps operations smooth.
Even small details matter. Label aisles with odd numbers on the left and even on the right so staff can pick items more efficiently. These adjustments add up to faster fulfillment and fewer errors.
Purchased & Packed
The shopper clicks “Buy Now,” and the leggings are off to a new life. This online purchase sets a fulfillment process into motion—one built for speed, accuracy, and customer satisfaction.
Once the order is received, warehouse staff spring into action. Efficient picking and packing workflows ensure the leggings are located, packaged carefully, and shipped out with minimal delay. Whether it’s a fragile or low-risk item, fulfillment teams follow shipping and handling standards to reduce breakage, avoid overpacking, and keep material costs in check.
Upright’s Professional Services provides hands-on support to optimize warehouse operations. Whether launching a new e-commerce department or fine-tuning existing processes, our experts deliver strategic guidance tailored to your team’s needs. On-site audits help identify bottlenecks, retrain teams, and recommend improvements that drive real results.
Upright Labs conducted an on-site audit for Goodwill Greater Washington and their team saw a 26% increase in shipping productivity within just three months.
A New Life Begins: From One Closet to Another
The Lululemon leggings arrive at their new home, ready for yoga class, weekend errands, or brunch with friends. This moment is part of a growing circular economy that gives clothing a second, third, or even fourth chance at life.
When the new buyer is ready to part with them, they can donate the leggings and start the cycle all over again, fueling sustainability and social impact in the process.
Every reused item reduces waste, conserves resources, and supports a healthier planet. WRAP research shows that extending the lifespan of clothing by just nine months could reduce carbon, water, and waste footprints by up to 20%, saving an estimated $6.8 billion in resources annually.
This ripple effect begins with one donation. Items like Lululemon leggings help power the secondhand market, fund e-commerce operations, and support nonprofit missions like education, job training, and community services. It’s a win for people, the planet, and purpose-driven organizations.
Want to See It in Action?
From a donation bin to a new closet, the journey of a pair of Lululemon leggings is just one example of the millions of items making their way through secondhand retail each year.
Each step is powered by strategic workflows and smart technology like Upright Lister. When paired with expert guidance from Professional Services, organizations can scale operations, reduce inefficiencies, and serve their communities more effectively. Whether you’re listing 50 items a week or 1,000, having the right systems in place makes all the difference.
The secondhand market is skyrocketing, and today’s shoppers are more eager than ever to buy used. Ready to enhance your e-commerce workflows and grow online sales?