Portsmouth anticipates growth in sustainable and second-hand clothing sales at Christmas
Events such as the recent COP28 United Nations Climate Change summit in Dubai have influenced nations across the globe to consider sustainability in their everyday lives.
On a more local level, however, communities in Portsmouth are thinking of ways to both save money and conserve the local environment — including in the run-up to the Christmas period.
A rapidly growing awareness of sustainable and second-hand shopping may be the answer.
Clothing, in particular, has been a popular purchase across 2023 so far, with 30% of second-hand sales consisting of items such as shirts, trousers and dresses.
With just two weeks to go until the big day, in-store and online sustainable retailers are preparing for a busy sales season.
Camille Bennett, a Fratton resident and frequent second-hand clothing shopper, said: “Clothes from charity shops are so appealing because they’re one of a kind, and they’re completely unique.
“If I was looking for something more specific and more particular, I would look on Vinted or eBay, so I could search for the exact item I was looking for.”
This change in consumer behaviour can be linked to recent debates surrounding the growth of the ‘fast fashion’ industry.
The fast fashion process consists of the mass-production of often finite-quality garments, to be sold at cheap prices for public consumption.
The industry has previously come under fire for its exploitation of low-paid workers in countries such as Cambodia and Bangladesh, as well as allegations of plagiarism related to other well-known fashion brands and designers.
One of the biggest concerns related to fast fashion in recent years is its environmental impact.
Just under a billion tonnes of ‘non-renewable sources’ like fossil fuels are used to fund a continuous cycle of rapid production per year, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas, Professor in Fashion Marketing and Sustainable Business at Glasgow Caledonian University, London, said: “Despite exposés, a lack of ethics and a lack of transparency, fast fashion brands are still there.
“I think that is a cost issue; if people were being asked to spend ten times as much on a piece, it wouldn’t be so attractive anymore.”
As a response to the global climate crisis and the threat of fast fashion-related issues, just under 60% of UK consumers have committed to reducing the number of new products they purchase, while 40% have chosen to buy from sustainable or second-hand brands.
While many Portsmouth shoppers in particular frequent outlets by charities such as the British Heart Foundation and vintage retailers, young people may often also purchase second-hand clothing through sites like Depop.
The app currently has around 30 million users, and specialises widely in vintage and 90s to Y2K aesthetic clothing. 90% of its current user base is estimated to be under the age of 26.
Prof. Radclyffe-Thomas additionally said: “What’s been quite clever is eBay coming into the fashion space — they sponsored Love Island, taking up a space that would usually be held by a fast fashion brand.
“It’s a kind of paradox; there’s a whole bunch of people for whom sustainability is not even on the horizon, but I’ve spoken to many people about sustainability who now say they love fast fashion brands, but they buy them from a second-hand website.”
Lora Nikolaeva Gene learnt first-hand how success could be generated from online sustainable clothing sales, when she revamped her business Lora Gene for a direct-to-customer market in 2019, after its foundation 9 years prior.
Based in London, the company specialises in minimalistic, Bulgarian-inspired clothing and is a certified B Corporation — meaning that they have been classified as an officially sustainable organisation.
Since the switch, the business has seen wide acclaim, having been featured in Red Magazine, the Independent and Vogue to name a few.
Ms Nikolaeva Gene said: “We function now in this phase of capitalism where the only capital that matters is monetary capital — you have to have the environment, human rights and money in harmony.
“We are trying to be a responsible brand that caters to diverse bodies, and has a relationship with the environment but also with human capital.”
The predicted rise of second-hand clothing sales in particular of just under 70% between 2022 and 2026, according to GlobalData, has not been without its challenges.
Problems associated with second-hand sales in the past have included ease of access offline in a market of first-hand fast fashion retailers, and a significant social stigma related to the purchase and gifting of pre-loved items, especially during the Christmas period.
Miss Bennett said: “When I was a kid, having second-hand clothes was something you were made fun of. While it’s nowhere near as bad as it used to be, people might still make the judgement that the person who is wearing second-hand clothing is poor.
“In terms of gift-giving, people might fear they’ll be judged if they buy something that doesn’t still have the tag on.”
Although these misconceptions have long been associated with pre-loved clothing, evidence suggests that these views may eventually wear out themselves.
In a sales landscape where 42% of consumers in the Gen Z bracket (18 to 24 year olds) are interested in second-hand and sustainable clothing, it is easy to predict that their uptake will increase at Christmas in future decades — with sustainable businesses looking to further their outreach as well.
Ms Nikolaeva Gene said: “What I would like to accomplish with the Lora Gene brand in the future is to have our own spaces where we can offer a platform to newer businesses.
“I would like for us to grow as a platform so that we can embrace other sustainable communities; every successful business has always grown through community.”
