Charity Super.Mkt to open 12 more pop-ups next year

Second-hand clothing pop-up Charity Super.Mkt reportedly is set to open 12 more locations next year as it looks to cater to the demand in vintage fashion, according to The Guardian.

Charity Super.Mkt brings together a collection of pre-loved fashion and accessories, including vintage denim, sports- and streetwear, while working closely with UK charities and several local operations.

Following its first bricks-and-mortar format at Brent Cross in early 2023, the fashion concept has gone on to pop-up at a number of the UK’s leading retail and leisure destinations and has sold over £3m worth of second-hand fashion.

The latest outpost opened in London’s Spitalfields this weekend (31st November) and comes as its expected over £2bn is set to be spent on second-hand items this Christmas, according to the latest data from Retail Economics. 

Maria Chenoweth, co-founder and CEO of Charity Super.Mkt said: “Wow, it has been nearly two years since Charity Super.Mkt first opened its doors, and it is clear that it is still a much-loved concept today as it was when we started, where the collaboration of charities all under one roof still remains a hit with consumers. 

“Charity Super.Mkt has worked with over 55 local and national charities, bringing new audiences and demographics to charity retail, from London’s Bond St to Glasgow, Bristol to Brent Cross. Hitting the £3m income milestone is the icing on the cake, but our work doesn’t stop there – our mission remains pushing charity retail into the spaces and places it would otherwise not access, raising funds for their vital work both here in the UK and globally.”

Wayne Hemingway MBE, co-founder of Charity Super.Mkt and partner at Hemingway Design, added: “When we first set out on this mission, we had no idea whether it would work. We cobbled together a name, a visual identity, repurposed a pile of shop fittings, and assembled eight retail charities together for a four-week experiment in a former Topshop store in Brent Cross which had been graffitied on with an anti-Philip Green staff on its walls! Within those four weeks, we showed how charity fashion deserves to be part of a modern retail offer, alongside the heavily-funded fast fashion brands with their marketing clout and retail infrastructure. 

“Now more than ever, fashion is evolving particularly amongst young people who are more conscious of making sustainable choices and seeking out good quality, pre-loved clothing, and turning it into re-loved fashion. We are thrilled to have reached our £3m charity milestone. It is a credit to the charities who have participated, the people who have shopped with us, and to the landlords of our spaces who have been so generous.” 

He concluded: “What’s more, we are now getting enquiries from overseas and from international brands who can see the value in supporting Charity Super.Mkt and the partner charities to deliver even more social and environmental value. What started as a 4-week experiment may now be on its way to creating a new, purposeful, sustainably-focused business model.”