Beyond Retro launches in-store exchange programme

Vintage clothing retailer Beyond Retro has just launched a new in-store exchange programme, where customers can recycle and refresh their wardrobe, encouraging a more circular lifestyle.

Customers are now able to take in their unwanted vintage and high street clothing, and exchange their preloved pieces in exchange for store credit. The brand will then sell the clothes in store, giving them another life in someone else’s wardrobe and saving them from landfill.

The initiative went live yesterday in connection with ‘Secondhand September’, Oxfam’s annual campaign to inspire more people to shop second hand.

Beyond Retro’s Director of Retail, Kate Peters, said: “Sustainability has always been at the core of what we do, and with our new exchange programme, we can continue to further close the loop on fashion waste with our customers' support, and encourage more people to shop consciously.

“We can now help our customers extend the life of their pre-loved and new pieces, and encourage them to shop vintage instead of new. We’re excited to launch this just before some of the highest consumption periods in the retail calendar, notably Halloween and Christmas. We hope our exchange programme will galvanize a more circular way of shopping in our stores.”

Beyond Retro Exchange is now available in all the retailer’s stores in the UK and Sweden, and customers will receive 20% of the selling price as a gift card.

Beyond Retro will be regularly shouting out pieces, brands and eras they are looking for, encouraging seasonal clear outs to then invest in fresh vintage for the new season.

For the exchange process, Beyond Retro is urging its customers to launder all items before bringing them in, and it will only accept items in good condition and not damaged or stained.

When selecting items to take in, the retailer is also advising customers to look at what Beyond Retro is currently buying for its stores and website, with brands it “always loves” including Carhartt, Nike, Levi’s, Gucci and Stüssy. It’s also stressing particular products it needs right now are dresses, shirts, dungarees, sweatshirts and workwear pieces.

Any pieces not taken by Beyond Retro UK will be given to the eco-fashion recycling campaign Love Not Landfill to ensure all pieces are recycled.

Olivia Shaw from Love Not Landfill, commented: “Each week 11 million items end up in landfill in the UK, so we really need to change our attitude towards fashion, and think more about where our clothes end up.

“We’re excited to partner with Beyond Retro to help reduce the amount of clothes just being thrown away, and by collecting donations across all of Beyond Retro’s stores we can work with our recycling partners at GOOD to extend the life of loads more clothing.”