ThredUp Doubles Down on Resale-as-a-Service® (RaaS®); Appoints Strategic Advisory Board to Scale Universal Recommerce Layer
OAKLAND, Calif., May 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ThredUp (NASDAQ:TDUP, LTSE: TDUP)), one of the largest online resale platforms for apparel, shoes, and accessories, today announced the next iteration of growth for its Universal Recommerce Layer. On the first anniversary of its move to an open-source model by eliminating fees for its Resale-as-a-Service® (RaaS®) partners, the company has appointed a powerhouse RaaS Advisory Board of industry veterans to spearhead this new chapter of enterprise growth.
By eliminating upfront costs and reducing monthly costs for branded resale, ThredUp democratized access to the circular economy for brands and retailers. This approach has led to a 37% rise in branded resale adoption since May 2025. Today, the ThredUp's RaaS platform powers circularity for more than 60 of the world's leading brands, including J.Crew, Tommy Hilfiger, and Madewell.
"We're proud to have built the only resale-as-a-service model that leverages its own scaled marketplace," said Alon Rotem, Chief Strategy Officer at ThredUp. "To help us deliver on our vision, we've assembled an experienced and diverse board of advisors who reflect the full lifecycle of retail. This diverse perspective will empower us to design and build best-in-class resale solutions that are validated by real-world retail expertise."
To guide this next evolution of the Universal Recommerce Layer, ThredUp has convened five experts at the intersection of climate, tech, logistics, and retail operations. The board includes Samina Virk, a resale industry veteran and former Vestiaire Collective executive; David Sobie, the logistics pioneer behind Happy Returns; Sarah Engel, a retail and marketing strategist and president at January Digital; James Rogers, a sustainability veteran and advisor at Watershed; and Jenelle Sheridan, Founder & Managing Partner of Farvue Partners and a 20-year retail veteran specializing in consumer growth, retail strategy, and commerce innovation.
The appointment of this board signals ThredUp's commitment to moving beyond the "experimental" phase of resale and making circularity a standard, profitable business operation for some of the world's largest retailers.
"Resale is no longer a niche trend; it is a fundamental new way to shop," said Samina Virk. "The next evolution is branded resale, where the brand itself takes the lead in the circular journey. I'm thrilled to support ThredUp in accelerating RaaS — giving brands the infrastructure to drive their resale channel and turn every product into a lifelong customer relationship."
David Sobie echoed the importance of operational ease-of-use, stating: "The greatest hurdle to circularity has always been the complexity of the reverse journey. By applying the same rigor to 'Clean Out' logistics that we brought to standard retail returns, ThredUp is making it easier than ever for consumers to keep items in circulation and for brands to manage that inventory at scale."
By integrating these diverse perspectives, ThredUp is ensuring RaaS remains the zero-barrier, "universal" solution for any organization ready to join the circular economy.
To learn more about ThredUp's Resale-as-a-Service, visit www.raas.thredup.com.
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 enjoy 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 enjoy 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 200 million unique secondhand items from 60,000 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.
About Samina Virk
Samina Virk is a senior executive with 25 years of experience at the intersection of fashion, digital commerce, and luxury resale. She most recently served as US CEO and Global CMO of Vestiaire Collective, the world's leading pre-loved luxury fashion marketplace. Her tenure at Vestiaire spans two chapters. She first joined in 2014 to launch the US market, and returned in 2023 to scale the North American business. She restructured US commercial and marketing operations following the Tradesy acquisition, launched a VIP Consignment business with partnerships including MyTheresa and Chloé, and built a brand growth strategy spanning digital marketing, exclusive collaborations including celebrity closet sales, and influencer programs across the US, UK, and key European markets. Earlier in her career, she served as Global CMO at Threads Styling, led a Fashion vertical team at eBay during the launch of its first brand-direct marketplace, and oversaw designer collaborations at Target. She has spoken at Fortune Brainstorm Tech, SXSW, and the United Nations, and holds an MBA from London Business School.
About David Sobie
David Sobie is the co-founder and CEO of Happy Returns, where he leads efforts to transform ecommerce returns for shoppers and retailers. Happy Returns was founded in 2015 and pioneered box-free returns for e-commerce retailers, delighting shoppers, speeding customer refunds, and reducing return shipping costs. Happy Returns was acquired by PayPal in 2021. After a period of exponential growth, PayPal divested Happy Returns to UPS in 2023. Today, the company operates as a subsidiary of UPS, accepting millions of returns each month on behalf of thousands of retailers, at a network of over 10,000 Return Bar locations around the country. Prior to co-founding Happy Returns, David served as the Chief Marketing Officer of REVOLVE and the SVP of Marketing & Business Development for HauteLook, a Nordstrom company. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
About Sarah Engel
Sarah Engel is the President of January Digital, the marketing leadership company and agency of record for clients including Carhartt, Supergoop!, Interstate Batteries, amika, and Steve Madden. She also serves as a Strategic Advisor to Shoptalk and Groceryshop, and was recently named to Adweek 50, honoring changemakers and growth drivers in marketing and technology, and the Rethink Retail Top Retail Experts of 2026. She is the former Vice President of Marketing for lifestyle brand Lilly Pulitzer and has spent her career connecting with customers and driving growth for the world's most impactful brands including Travelocity, Match, and Chevrolet. She serves on the advisory board of Rebel Nell, a jewelry company empowering marginalized women, and as Chairperson of the Board of LSH, a nonprofit supporting vulnerable communities in Philadelphia. Her contributions to the industry have earned her recognition as a Top Woman in Media and Ad Tech, one of Women's Wear Daily's Top 20 Women Leaders in Business, and one of Footwear News' Six Women in Power Creating Corporate Change.
About James Rogers
James Rogers is an advocate for using business as a force for good. With over 15 years of experience developing and implementing complex sustainability strategies for global organizations, he has a proven track record of success in reducing carbon footprints, driving circular business models, improving resource efficiency, and engaging consumers in sustainable practices. James is a Sustainability Advisor at Watershed, the enterprise sustainability platform used by companies like Airbnb, Carlyle Group, FedEx, and Dr. Martens to measure, report and act on their carbon emissions. Previously, he held senior sustainability roles at The North Face, The RealReal and Rothy's.
About Jenelle Sheridan
Jenelle Sheridan is Founder and Managing Partner of Farvue Partners, an advisory firm that helps consumer brands and commerce platforms accelerate profitable growth. She brings nearly two decades of experience scaling businesses across retail, eCommerce, and brand strategy—from early-stage startups to global consumer brands. Prior to founding Farvue Partners, Jenelle spent nearly a decade at Gap Inc. and Athleta, where she held executive roles spanning marketing, merchandising, planning, strategy, and business development, helping scale Athleta from approximately $200 million to more than $1 billion in revenue. Earlier in her career, she was a consultant at Strategy& (formerly Booz & Company), advising Fortune 500 companies across retail, consumer technology, and CPG. Today, through Farvue Partners, Jenelle advises brands, retailers, and emerging commerce technology companies on growth strategy, customer acquisition, omnichannel expansion, and evolving consumer trends—including resale and circular commerce. She holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree from USC Marshall School of Business.
Press Contact:
Laura Hogya
media@thredup.com
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