Created in partnership with circular clothing company Verte, the limited series of pop-up shops will launch this month in selected Primark stores across the UK, including London, Manchester and Birmingham.
Primark, in collaboration with Verte, is launching its first swap shops in London, Manchester and Birmingham during London Fashion Week. Customers can bring in up to five used items to be exchanged for digital tokens that they can use on Verte’s collection. Events take place in September and October. Unsold items will be donated, saved for future swaps or placed in textile donation boxes.
Where to find your local Swap Shop
Primark’s first ever Swap Event will kick off on Friday 13 September at Primark in Westfield Stratford, London, as part of London Fashion Week’s 2024 City Celebration. The Swap Store will be open on the ground floor and run for three days until Sunday 15 September.
Manchester locals can also rejoice, as the Swap Shop is coming soon to Primark’s Manchester Market Street store. Customers and second-hand shoppers will be able to find the swaps on the lower level of the store on Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 September.
Birmingham fashion lovers will also have the chance to enjoy Primark’s pop-up swap shop when it arrives on Birmingham High Street on Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 October.
How to trade and buy
The new experience will allow swappers to bring up to five items of adult clothing*, bags, hats or scarves from any brand in good condition, to be evaluated and redeemed for digital tokens in the Verte app.
Digital tokens can be used to purchase a second-hand item from the Verte collection. Luxury items that are presented in near-new condition will receive a special gold token that can be exchanged exclusively for other gold items.
Any clothing not exchanged will be kept for the next swap event, donated to local charities in the area or placed in Primark's textile donation boxes, available in all UK stores.
Participants are advised to register for the event in advance to avoid disappointment:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/verte-33432022375
Lynne Walker, Primark Cares Director said: “We truly believe in helping people love their clothes for longer and our latest partnership with Verte allows us to do exactly that.
“Welcoming Verte into our stores will help us better connect with a community of like-minded fashion lovers who genuinely care about the fate of their clothes. We hope our pop-up shops will encourage more people to take part in fashion’s growing circular economy and that they have the opportunity to do so in their local Primark store. We all have items in our wardrobe that we always want to wear but never get around to doing so, so we’re excited to see Verte breathe new life into the clothes our customers and colleagues swap.”
Founder of Green, Jessica Brunt She said: “We are really excited to partner with Primark on this in-store swap initiative because they are passionate about driving in-store experiences, not just in London but across the UK. Swapping is a great way to access used items in an affordable and inclusive way and the more people are exposed to the idea, the better it will be for the planet and the future of shopping.”
Love your clothes for longer
The initiative is part of Primark’s ongoing commitment to making second-hand fashion more accessible and encouraging customers to love their clothes for longer.
The fashion retailer has been making used clothing more accessible to its customers in-store since 2022. It has partnered with Vintage Wholesale Company to offer unique vintage clothing through Wornwell, which is currently in 10 stores across the UK.
Primark’s ‘Love it for Longer’ repair workshop programme runs throughout the year and teaches shoppers basic repair and sewing techniques. They are available to customers completely free of charge in selected stores and are accessible to everyone online through easy-to-follow repair videos on Primark.com.
Note: The content of this press release has not been edited by Fibre2Fashion staff.
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