Thrifters and Swishers could affect UK fashion market

Charity shops are great hunting grounds Credit: SpeedKingz Shutterstock

A RECENT survey by Mintel the world’s leading market intelligence agency has revealed an interesting fact which shows that Britain’s young people are either very poor or anxious to help the environment.

In today’s easy come easy go cheap fashion world, 52 per cent of those aged between 25 and 34 said that they regularly purchased second hand clothes and just slightly less said they also sold their clothes which means that they belong to a new group called ‘Thrifters’.

Not only does this group buy and sell on the second hand market, they are also quite happy to repair damaged or worn out clothes rather than simply throw them away.

Younger people (16 to 24-year-olds) are ‘Swishers’ as some 75 per cent say that they are quite happy to regularly swap clothes with friends in order to have an inexpensive way of varying their wardrobes.

Also known as Generation Z, this age group are also happy to rent clothes for special occasions rather than purchase them with 54 per cent saying that they have or would be interested in renting.

The survey found that the majority feel that buying too many fashion items is bad for the environment and they would prefer to purchase from a retailer that sold sustainable fashion ranges but had difficulty in knowing which sellers are acting ethically.

It’s almost a return to the concept of ‘reusing, reducing and recycling’ which their grandparents had to follow during the Second World War, so fashion outlets need to take note.

Written by

John Smith

Married to Ophelia in Gibraltar in 1978, John has spent much of his life travelling on security print and minting business and visited every continent except Antarctica. Having retired several years ago, the couple moved to their house in Estepona and John became a regular news writer for the EWN Media Group taking particular interest in Finance, Gibraltar and Costa del Sol Social Scene. Currently he is acting as Editorial Consultant for the paper helping to shape its future development. Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews

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