Knowledge Hub
Consumers are increasingly looking at second-hand or vintage clothing options over brand new from high street retailers - and this is great thing for the planet.
Below, we highlight the rise of vintage shopping and how charity shops are playing their part in helping people find their personal style, as well as helping the planet.
Fast fashion is one of the most pressing environmental issues of our times. ‘Fast fashion’ refers to the rapid mass production and distribution of clothing, selling the latest fashion trends at a low cost.
Did you know it takes the equivalent of 5,400 standard 500ml bottles of water to produce one cotton t-shirt? According to analysis from Oxfam, that is enough water to meet the drinking needs of 1,600 people per day. The fact is, modern methods of producing clothes carries a huge environmental cost.
Fast fashion is not only water intensive, but it’s also a huge pollutant, contributing to chemical pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and producing textile waste and micro plastics. The fashion industry is responsible for about 20% of global clean water pollution from dyeing and finishing products, and 10% of global carbon emissions - more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
People are concerned that fast fashion has a disproportionate negative impact on the planet and are opting for more sustainable choices. A survey by McKinsey found that over 60% of Americans surveyed would pay more for a sustainable product, with 78% of consumers also claiming that a sustainable lifestyle is important to them.
For people who care about their environmental impact, charity shops are a fantastic option, offering the opportunity to shop with purpose in a sustainable manner, while also helping the planet.
Consumer behaviour patterns have shown that many people are increasingly looking towards vintage shopping as a cheaper and more sustainable option. The global second-hand apparel market is expected to reach $367 billion by 2029, growing 2.7 times faster than the overall global apparel market and younger people make up a large share of the people drawn towards vintage and second-hand fashion.
With the cost-of-living crisis affecting everyday items, clothing spending trends have seen consumers becoming more cautious and cutting back on shopping on the high street, as the price of clothes rose by 2% in November 2024.
Shopping vintage or second-hand is often a cheaper alternative to new clothes, with shoppers saving up to 25% per item according to a survey by vintage resellers Depop, which also found that 53% of shoppers have been buying more second-hand clothes amid the cost of living crisis.
Combined with the fact that increasingly more shoppers are environmentally conscious, vintage and second-hand shopping represents an affordable way for consumers to express themselves fashion-wise while being kinder to the planet.
Vintage and second-hand shopping is not only cheaper and more environmentally friendly but also allows shoppers to take a more unique approach to curating their wardrobe; for many fashion aficionados, exploring the clothing section of a charity shop, or looking at the range in a vintage store, means looking at styles that have stood the test of time.
The self-expression it affords attracts a very enthusiastic community of people interested in vintage and retro clothing, inspired by the thrill of searching for clothes that express individuality with the added sentimentality of having been pre-owned and the attached history.
Online resale platforms, like Vinted and Depop, are partly responsible for the growth in second-hand shopper trends, but charity shops remain an integral part of the vintage and second-hand shopping experience.
Inside charity shops, retro clothing can be found alongside high-street, as well as designer or glamourous pieces. With roughly 11,000 charity shops across the UK (that raise approximately £270 million per year), crafting your own wardrobe is easy and comes with options to explore unique jewellery and clothes.
Concern Worldwide has eight shops across Northern Ireland that rely on the support of our hardworking volunteers and donors. One of flagship shops is our Lisburn Road store in Belfast, which is a boutique charity shop that stocks a range of designer, vintage and top-quality clothing, homeware, books and media.
All the proceeds from our stores go towards helping us tackle extreme poverty and change the lives of people living in the most vulnerable communities. By shopping at Concern your money goes towards supporting those who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
