Opened in London from January to March 2023, Charity Super.Mkt brings multiple charities together under one roof for the UK’s first charity department store.
Located in Brent Cross Shopping Centre, the store sells donated clothing from 10 UK charities including Barnardo’s, Age UK and Cancer Research. The department store pop-up concept was created by Wayne Hemingway, founder of fashion brand Red or Dead, and Maria Chenowetrh, CEO of TRAID (Textile Reuse and International Development). It is staffed by volunteers.
The idea was about bringing recognition to charity retailers and combating the idea that charity shops are a symbol of decline on high streets. ‘When you look at the demographic of people who are shopping in charity shops, it’s the people who are leading the way in thinking,’ Hemingway tells the BBC. Some 65% of people in the UK wear second-hand clothing at least once a week, he adds.
The opening aligns with the growing consumer interest in second-hand clothes fuelled by the cost of living crisis and rising concern around sustainability. The space offers customers a shopping destination grounded in purpose, allowing them to support the environmental and social causes they believe in and pick up a bargain or two. Visitors can also bring items with them to donate.
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