- Robyn Turk
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In promotion of the launch of its British webstore, French
e-commerce company Patatam conducted a survey of female shoppers in
the UK, concluding that the majority has “fashion skeletons” in their
closets.
According to Patatam’s research, the wardrobes of British women
contain a combined 13 billion pounds (15.8 billion U.S. dollars) worth
of unwanted clothing, which factors as approximately 504 pounds (613
dollars) of unwanted clothing in every closet.
Patatam determined several factors that led to the accumulation of
unwanted clothing. For one thing, survey participants hold onto an
average of 13 items, or monetary total of 36 pounds (44 dollars) of
items that no longer fit. Eighteen percent of respondents hold onto
these items hoping to one day fit into them again, while 17 percent
said they hold onto unwanted clothing for sentimental reasons, whether
the item reminds them of a specific person, place or experience.
A secondhand clothing retailer, Patatam has used its survey to
gauge its lpace in the UK market. Its survey found that consumer
awareness of responsible fashion practices is on the rise, as 92
percent of respondents would rather re-sell unwanted garments, and 64
percent would happily shop secondhand.
Patatam intends to encourage more ethical shopping habits by buying
and selling quality pre-owned clothing from high street brands. Since
its founding in France in 2013, the company has sourced clothing from
charity shops, housing clearance centers and the public to then
re-sell on its e-commerce site at prices up to 70 percent less than
high street retail.
With its recent UK launch, Patatam aims to expand its ethical
fashion re-sale practices.
“It’s amazing to see just how much money British women have sat in
their wardrobes, in the form of clothing which they no longer want,”
said Eric Gagnaire, managing director at Patatam’s UK site, said in a
company blog post. “But what is incredible just how much appetite
there is to ensure that they are getting rid of these in a responsible
way – by selling, donating or passing them on to others who can enjoy
them – rather than simply throwing them away. This is great news and
shows just how much the tide is shifting.”
