It seems like every week we’re reading something new about how British customers are increasingly been moving away from fast fashion and the throwaway culture of old, and embracing both buying second hand and making their clothes last longer. They want a more sustainable and ethical way of wearing great clothes.
For example, there was a great article recently in The Guardian: Cheap, cool and kind to nature: how second-hand became UK fashion’s main attraction
And there was the recent mention of The Zip Yard in a Good Housekeeping article: Repair it, don’t throw it!
Some great stats from these articles about this change of culture:
- According to GlobalData, the clothes resale market in the UK grew by 149% between 2016 and 2022. It is forecast to rise by 67.5% from 2022 to 2026.
- Childrenswear resales projected to increase by 493% in the next decade
- Consumers of all ages are realising that “Shopping second-hand provides solutions to several important issues: style, cost and sustainability.”
A change that’s here to stay
The pandemic was a big catalyst for this, and so has the recent cost of living rise, but those just accelerated a big grass roots change that was already happening in the UK. This isn’t a flash in the pan. This is the kind of deep societal change that we’re going to keep seeing for many years to come, and Zip Yard owners are in the perfect place to meet that need.
Zip Yard franchisees are already seeing fantastic results. So far, in 2023, they have seen:
- An average 10% year-on-year increase in sales
- A record breaking sales month at Zip Yard Northampton in January
January is usually their quietest month, so seeing these kind of figures so early on means we’re just on the cusp of another stellar year at The Zip Yard!
There’s never been a better time to open your own store
If you’re wondering what your own store might look and feel like, here’s a great video of a visit we did recently to The Zip Yard in Leeds:
You should definitely also check out some of the other videos with The Zip Yard franchisor, Neluka, as she is great at explaining what the business is all about. You can see them all on our Youtube channel, or here, on the website.