Fashion rental marketplace HURR turns a profit for the first time

HURR, the fashion rental marketplace, has made a profit for the first time as it tries to make clothing rental and resale work commercially.

Founder Lauren Roberts shared the news on LinkedIn, saying the company had spent 18 months changing its operations and strategy to strengthen its finances.

She said HURR had reviewed how it operates, spends, innovates and builds its technology, concentrating on efficiency and closer scrutiny of costs across the business.

Roberts acknowledged that the process had involved hard decisions and some initiatives that did not deliver what was expected, but said the combined effect of the changes had fundamentally shifted HURR’s financial trajectory.

The marketplace continues to grow, as more customers rent clothes from each other and resale takes up a larger share of the business.

The company has also been building out its platform so circular fashion is easier to access. Recent additions include Search by Image and Request an Item, which are designed to improve product discovery and help customers track down specific pieces.

Roberts said reaching profitability mattered beyond HURR’s own finances. She argued that circular business models have to prove they are commercially viable if they are to make a meaningful difference to how consumers buy and use fashion.

She stressed that the work was not finished, describing profitability as an important step forward for HURR and for its ambition to reshape how fashion is consumed.

The milestone comes as interest grows in alternative models of fashion consumption, with retailers and brands turning to rental, resale and recommerce to keep products in use for longer and reduce waste.