Second Hand: Balzac Paris Expands Its Take-Back Service with Faume to Its Stores in Lyon, Bordeaux and Toulouse

Second Hand: Balzac Paris Expands Its Take-Back Service with Faume to Its Stores in Lyon, Bordeaux and Toulouse

From digital to regional stores: second hand success

‍Since 2020, Balzac Paris has facilitated the second life of its garments through an easy online take-back service on Balzac Seconde Vie: customers can resell an item by sending it back free of charge by mail. Once the quality has been verified by a vendor, they receive a voucher immediately redeemable in-store or online, on both new and second-hand collections. In 2021, two months after the opening of its first Parisian Adresse on rue d’Hauteville (10ᵉ), the service was extended to this store, and in 2024 to its rue du Bac location (6ᵉ).

Balzac Seconde Vie, the brand’s second-hand program, has been an undeniable success with customers:

-Over 600,000 annual visitors on the second-hand platform (https://secondevie.balzac-paris.fr/), a clear sign of strong customer appetite for a more circular fashion model.

-Sustained growth of +30% per year, confirming the program’s strategic role in Balzac Paris’ business model.

-An omnichannel take-back service, available both online and in-store at Balzac Paris’ first boutique (opened September 2021 at 51 rue d’Hauteville, Paris 10ᵉ).

“At Balzac Paris, second hand is a natural part of our Toujours Plus Responsable approach. It extends the life of our creations and embodies our belief that it is always possible to do more and better,” says Chrysoline de Gastines, co-founder of Balzac Paris.

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A fast-accelerating market

‍Major luxury, premium and retail brands have already proven the success of omnichannel second-hand programs, which have in some cases become pillars of their growth strategies. This trend shows that take-back and circularity are no longer marginal initiatives; they are transforming the customer experience, embedding sustainability at the heart of the market, and opening new growth opportunities.

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A business driver for physical retail‍

Beyond its responsible image, take-back also answers clear business objectives:

-Driving footfall: by offering take-back in-store, brands encourage customers to return physically, turning stores into hubs of exchange and value circulation.

-Generating additional revenue: the voucher mechanism secures sales while accelerating sell-through of new collections. Over the past three years, each voucher redemption has been accompanied on average by a basket 45% higher than the voucher value. Faume observes that 90% of vouchers issued by brands are used within three months.

-Enriching customer knowledge: every take-back transaction feeds CRM data and sharpens understanding of shopping behaviors.

-Reactivating dormant customers: beyond the transaction itself, second hand is a re-engagement lever. According to Balzac Paris, 10% of participants had not purchased anything in more than two years. In 2024, nearly 30% of Balzac Seconde Vie users had not yet been identified in the CRM.

“Take-back builds a bridge between our digital ecosystem and our Adresses. It turns our stores into vibrant places of exchange, allows us to know our customers better across all channels, and reactivates those who had drifted away. It is a strategic omnichannel lever that boosts footfall while generating additional revenue,” explains Odile Rohart, Chief Digital Officer at Balzac Paris.

In a sector where nearly 70% of fashion revenues in Europe still come from physical stores, these levers are considered strategic. Take-back becomes a retail activation tool, much like a promotional campaign, but with an added responsible dimension.

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Faume, the technology partner powering Balzac Seconde Vie‍

The Balzac Paris program is operated by Faume, a specialist in circular solutions for premium fashion brands. Its technology integrates seamlessly with existing systems—POS, CRM and OMS—without creating silos or adding complexity. Faume enables centralized, omnichannel management of all take-back flows, with powerful automated pricing tools capable of estimating and valuing each item in real time according to brand, category, condition and seasonality.

Deployed across more than 700 points of sale for 45 brands, Faume’s solution ensures fast, smooth and measurable implementation. It enables retailers to scale their take-back programs while maintaining retail standards and customer experience consistency, whatever the channel.

“Balzac Paris was one of the first brands to believe in our model and remains today a benchmark in terms of commitment. Their pioneering vision and unwavering consistency in promoting more responsible fashion make them an inspiring partner. We share the conviction that second hand is the future of the industry. Circular economy is no longer a concession for brands; it is becoming a value driver, capable of reconciling performance with purpose,” says Aymeric Déchin, CEO and co-founder of Faume.

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A progressive scale-up

‍Balzac Paris is progressively rolling out its in-store take-back service, with plans to extend it to its entire retail network by 2026. This strategy aims to consolidate its omnichannel model and optimize network performance in a context of slower consumption and pressure on purchasing power.

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Press contact: interviews, visuals, case studies, radio and TV reportsTygénia El-Khattabi – +33 6 19 91 40 03 – tygenia@elkh.fr

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About Balzac Paris

‍Founded in 2014 by three entrepreneurs, Balzac Paris is a French fashion house pioneering a sustainable and desirable wardrobe. With its Toujours Plus Responsable (T.P.R) approach, the brand combines creativity, elegance and ethics through timeless collections designed to last. From its iconic César bags to its leopard print, each creation reflects a responsible savoir-faire and a bold Parisian style. With a commitment to transmission, environmental respect and social ethics, Balzac Paris became a Entreprise à Mission and B Corp certified in 2024. Present in France and internationally, the Maison now counts a loyal community of over half a million people. Its Parisian Adresses and e-shop offer a unique sensory experience, true to its elegant and engaged universe. https://secondevie.balzac-paris.fr/

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About Faume‍

Faume is France’s leading platform for premium and luxury fashion brands looking to launch their own second-hand offering. Based in Paris and London, the company provides an end-to-end solution covering collection, refurbishment, pricing, logistics and resale, enabling fashion houses to retain control over their image, distribution and profitability. In just five years, 300,000 refurbished pieces have been resold, 40% of them internationally. In 2024 alone, Faume helped avoid over 4,200 tCO2 emissions. Founded in 2020 by Aymeric Déchin, Nicolas Viant, Jocelyn Kerbourc’h and Lucas Patricot, the scale-up has raised three funding rounds (€2M in 2021, €7M in 2022, €8M in 2025) from historical investors Amundi Private Equity Transition Juste, Daphni and Bpifrance (Digital Venture fund), along with business angels including Michaël Benabou (ex-cofounder of Vente-Privée), Stanislas de Quercize (ex-CEO of Cartier), and Thibaud Hug de Larauze (CEO and founder of Back Market). https://www.faume.co/fr

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