Everything you need to know about thrifting !

Everything you need to know about Second-Hand shopping !

24 novembre 2021

As you probably know, “Sustainability” is not a new word in the Fashion Industry. For many years, brands and customers have been putting more and more interest in this word and in its implications for Fashion. However, after the events of 2020, the importance of sustainability acquired a whole new meaning, and the pressure on both fashion brands and customers to find sustainable solutions grew exponentially. For this reason, on this occasion, we want to share with you important information regarding a trend that you most likely have heard of: Second-hand shopping.

We´re sure you might have heard the song ‘Thrift Shop’ by Macklemore. At the time the song was released thrift shopping was not something popular or at least it was not something glamourized and talked about on social media. However, nowadays the story is different. Vintage shopping, thrift shopping, or second-hand shopping (however you wanna call it) has become an attractive alternative for people of all ages. People from all over the world enjoy sharing their vintage shopping experiences and the “gem” vintage pieces they are able to find in popular vintage stores.

Shopping for second-hand clothing has become a trend and we´re happy to say that this is an environmental-friendly trend. Over the past year, the market for second-hand clothes has grown rapidly, and it´s expected to grow 15 to 20% over the next 5 years. For this reason, companies are putting efforts into adopting new circular-fashion alternatives to keep up with this growing trend.

Why should you jump into this trend?

First of all, it is more affordable. You can find vintage designer clothes or accessories at a much more affordable price and by acquiring them you would be given those items a longer life. Second, it is a greener option, as it reduces consumption and in the end, reduces the production of more waste. 

Therefore, as a response to the growing demand for second-hand products, companies are coming up with their own solutions. For example, many fashion retailers have started building up their own re-selling platforms or partnering with existing services like The RealReal, to make sure their customers can access original second-hand items of the brand without having to take the risk of buying counterfeited items. Other platforms such as Vestiaire Collective and Vinted also contribute to the growth of this industry as they work as re-selling channels where customers can directly re-sell their products.

This circular-fashion movement has become so big that department stores are now building up second-hand clothing spaces within their stores to be able to compete with the traditional Vintage/Thrift shops and to attract its clientele. An example of this is the initiative developed by Galeries Lafayette within its Paris flagship at the Boulevard Haussman. This project is called Le(Re)Store and it consists of a 500 square meter space within the store, dedicated exclusively to the re-sell of products and to circular fashion. Although this might seem like a small attempt to commercialize second-hand goods, it demonstrates the power of this trend and the impact it has even on big department stores. Other brands adopting similar initiatives are Printemps with its “7eCiel”, a 1,300 square meters re-selling space; the Maison Vintage developed by the Bon Marché Rive Gauche; and Auchan, one of the biggest food retailers in France, that has started to install second-hand clothing departments in its stores in partnership with the e-commerce platform Patatam. All these initiatives show the importance of investing in the second-hand clothing market and they signify as well, more options and better accessibility to vintage items for environmentally friendly customers. 

Increasing clothes reuse, whatever the customer motives, is a significant step towards a new normal in the fashion industry, while its capacity to address environmental issues remains to be seen. The importance of this movement is that it allows us to become mindful consumers, even if we start by contributing with something small. That is why we have hand-picked some of Grenoble’s most distinctive second-hand stores for you to enhance your style while remaining cautious of your spending habits and making wise choices while purchasing second-hand clothes. So, get ready to snag these awesome clothes without emptying your bank account !

Thrift shops in Grenoble you must visit !

Ma Petite Armoise – Vestiboutique Croix-Rouge /5 Rue André Maginot, 38000 Grenoble

Concept Vintage store /10 Rue Bayard, 38000 Grenoble

Opus Dépôt Vente /17 Bd Gambetta, 38000 Grenoble

La Remise /35 Rue Général Ferrié, 38100 Grenoble

Emmaüs Grenoble /11 Rue Saint-Jacques, 38000 Grenoble

ULISSE Grenoble Solidarité /2 Rue Hippolyte Muller, 38100 Grenoble

Alma Slow Concept /1 Rue Abbé de la Salle, 38000 Grenoble

Le Fil Rouge /1 Rue Gabriel Péri, 38000 Grenoble

Mad Vintage /15 Rue Lafayette, 38000 Grenoble

Club 66 /5 Rue de Sault, 38000 Grenoble

By Diana & Charu

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