Belfast firms Responsible and Haru unite to become leaders in the global fashion industry's circular movement

Belfast-based circular fashion platform, Responsible has acquired Haru uniting their re-commerce technologies and rotation solutions to benefit the fashion industry.

Responsible and Haru technologies enable brands to shift towards circularity by accepting fashion and footwear items, renewing them and reselling, all within a single platform.

By unlocking the brands’ participation in the global fashion resale and second hand apparel market, the firm is projected to reach a value of USD worth 218 billion by 2026.

With both brands based in Belfast, the collaboration aims to advance sustainability in fashion across the globe while contributing to the Northern Ireland economy.

"Our acquisition of Haru is a significant milestone for Responsible as we continue to push the boundaries of circularity in the fashion industry," said Mark Dowds, CEO of Responsible.

"By combining our respective technologies and expertise, we further increase the efficiencies and profitability required to grow the adoption of circular business models by brands and drive consumer behaviour change at scale."

The acquisition will enable Responsible to strengthen its brand and customer-facing apps with Haru’s advanced operational, digitization, and pricing algorithms. The combined technology offering from both companies will be an essential step forward in supporting the development of profitable circular trading programs, which in turn will support more widespread adoption throughout the fashion industry.

"We're thrilled to join Responsible and bring our complementary technologies and expertise to the table," added Jacques Hill, CEO of Haru. "Since launching Haru in 2018 as a tech-powered re-commerce solution for second-hand fashion retailers, specifically charity shops, we've proudly supported over 550 charity shops across the UK and Ireland, generating revenue where there was little margin. With the integration of our platforms, we're excited to unlock even greater value for our customers, retailers, and staff as we build a better future for fashion."

In the immediate future, Responsible and Haru will focus on integrating their technologies and expanding their reach to scale re-commerce in the fashion industry further.