A new charity supermarket has opened up in the UK, selling designer gear for as little as a tenner.
Buying second hand is something many of us like to do these days, whether it’s to save a bit of cash or to do our bit for the environment.
Hitting up the charity shops can be a great way to find pre-loved goodies, but sometimes it can feel a bit hit and miss.
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This is why the first of its kind Charity Super.Mkt sounds like a GREAT idea, as it brings a bunch of shops all under one roof – meaning no traipsing around various neighbourhoods trying to find the best pieces.
The premise is simple: a multi-charity pre-loved fashion store where you can pick up bargains like a pair of Nike Air Max trainers and a Balenciaga handbag – both of which have been spotted on sale for just £10.
The first shop opened in London in January this year, taking over the old Topshop unit in Brent Cross.
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In just six months, it managed to sell more than 100,000 second hand items – which in turn meant 30,000kg of clothes were stopped from ending up in landfill, preventing the equivalent of more than 260,000kg of Co2 emissions.
In the nine-month period it’s been operating, founders Maria Chenoweth, CEO of sustainable clothing charity TRAID, and Wayne Hemingway MBE, of HemingwayDesign and co-founder of British fashion brand Red or Dead, have raised a whopping £1.2 million.
And now there’s a second store, which has taken over a large site in Greater Manchester’s MediaCityUK in Salford Quays, which opened its doors yesterday (2 November).
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"Charity Super.Mkt works because people like the fact they don't have to walk down the high street into different charity shops to find what the like, they love the fact that it's all under one roof," Chenoweth said.
"This way of shopping gives back in bucket loads," Wayne said, "we've raised £1.2 million in nine months. Everything we've raised goes straight back into the community."
The charity supermarket in Salford Quays is open now until Wednesday 13 December, meaning you could even pop down to box off some early Christmas shopping... or just pick out a couple of presents for yourself, of course.
Jess Hardiman