ReLoved. Restored. Revalued - a Freedom story

“ReLoved. Restored. Revalued." is a Freedom story about waste, honesty and the beauty of second chances

Retail loves the language of sustainability—circular economy, zero waste, conscious consumption. But behind the scenes, the reality looks different. Damaged furniture often ends up in landfill, customer returns become write-offs, clearance stock gets dumped in a discount bin out the back...

Not because we don’t care, but because the system makes waste easy. 

Freedom's “ReLoved. Restored. Revalued." was built to challenge that. It's a bold circular retail initiative giving furniture a second life and redefines what value can mean on the shop floor.

Let's be honest. The real problem isn’t damage — it’s perception.

Customers often think clearance means that it's broken, it was used in someone else’s home or it’s just poor quality. Even when the product is perfectly good, the stigma is strong. So retailers hide it or discount it beyond recognition. Waste has been normalised. But it doesn’t have to be!

Instead of hiding imperfect product, Freedom created a curated in-store experience that celebrates it.

Every piece in ReLoved.Restored.Revalued is:

💚 Cleaned

💚 Repaired by our in-house specialist, Anan, at our Auckland Distribution Center💚 Carefully refinished

💚 Given a story tag explaining its journey, with total transparency

Was it floor stock, discontinued, returned or cancelled customer order? Was it damaged in transit and repaired? What exactly was fixed?

No secrets. No stigma. Just good furniture with a second life.

This truly is a sustainability experience — not a discount bin!

Real Stories, Real Impact

The first ReLoved space at Sylvia Park doesn’t look like clearance. It’s become one of the most visited areas in-store. Customers are drawn in. They’re curious. They buy.

One of our customers said:  “I love that I know exactly what was repaired. It feels honest, I feel good about it knowing that perfectly good furniture does not end in our landfills — and the piece looks brand new!”

It worked so well, we are launching more ReLoved intiatives at Wairau Park — and more stores are asking for one.

This isn’t a side project. It’s a new retail model!

Why ReLoved Works and Why It Matters

It starts with the planet. Instead of sending perfectly fixable furniture to landfill (the industry norm), ReLoved keeps pieces in circulation and proves that sustainability can be practical, not performative.

But this is bigger than waste.

This is about doing good in a more complete sense, for the environment, for people, and for our communities.

• Our teams are proud to be part of ReLoved. Restoring furniture isn’t grunt work — it’s skilled, hands-on craftsmanship that brings purpose and pride.

• For customers, it’s about trust. Each story tag gives them the full picture, so they know exactly what they’re buying — and why it matters.

• And when something can’t be resold? It still finds a new purpose. Through our partnership with All Heart NZ, those items are repurposed to support local communities in need.

  
  
  

  

  

So yes, ReLoved helps the business.Every restored item becomes recovered margin rather than sunk cost. Waste turns into revenue. Clearance becomes opportunity.

ReLoved proves that when you design with circularity, transparency and heart… everybody wins.

Progress Over Perfection

ReLoved may be a Freedom idea, but the opportunity is industry-wide.

What if every retailer had a better answer to returns, damage and end-of-line stock, one that didn’t default to waste?

ReLoved isn’t glossy. It’s human and hands-on — and that’s why it works. While others wait for the “perfect” sustainability solution, we started with what we had: tools, talent and belief.

Sustainability shouldn’t live in a strategy deck.It should live on the shop floor.

The Results So Far — 2024

• 550+ pieces saved from landfill

• $30,000+ donated to charity

• High in-store engagement zones

• Media buzz + customer love

• Customers choosing ReLoved intentionally, not just for price

The Challenge Ahead

So here's our challenge to the industry:

What if we stopped treating “damaged” as disposable and turn it into customer favourites and profit…?

What if waste became the starting point for innovation — not the end of the line?

Freedom says great design should never end in landfill, and the future of retail won’t be defined only by what’s new — but by what we choose to value, restore and keep in circulation.

See it for yourself and visit ReLoved at Freedom Sylvia Park and watch sustainability come to life — beautifully designed, honestly priced, and transparently restored.

→ Come in. Get inspired. Take something ReLoved home.