Charity Super.Mkt reports new pop-up stores in the pipeline and £3 million second hand fashion milestone

Charity Super.Mkt, pitched as the UK’s first ever multi-charity shop, reports that it has, with its charity retail partners (including Shelter, Havens Hospices, Cancer Research and Oxfam), sold £3 million worth of second hand fashion since opening its doors in January 2023.

Over the past couple of years, the venture has popped up in over 12 cities across the UK including Manchester, Glasgow, Bristol and London, and partnered with 55 different local and national charities in the UK.

So far, the pop-up stores have prevented 105,109kg of textile waste from reaching landfill, saving an estimated 168,174 cubic metres of water.

Charity Super.Mkt relies on the support of its partnering charities, the public's purposeful consumption choice, and retail landlords like Hammerson, INKGA, Landsec, and British Land, who provide rent free retail spaces to facilitate the charity retail concept. 

Growth plans are underway, with a number of new permanent store openings planned throughout the UK in 2025, including Canary Wharf London, Edinburgh and Leeds. Its most recent pop-up location in Spitalfields Market, London, opened on 28th November, and is in partnership with Traid and Havens Hospice. It will be open until the end of January 2025. 

Maria Chenoweth, Co-founder and CEO at Charity Super.Mkt says: “Wow, it has been nearly two years since Charity Super.Mkt first opened its doors, and it is clear that it is still a much-loved concept today as it was when we started, where the collaboration of charities all under one roof still remains a hit with consumers.”

“We have worked with over 55 local and national charities, bringing new audiences and demographics to charity retail, from London’s Bond St to Glasgow, Bristol to Brent Cross. Hitting the £3 million income milestone is the icing on the cake, but our work doesn’t stop there - our mission remains pushing charity retail into the spaces and places it would otherwise not access, raising funds for their vital work both here in the UK and globally.”

Wayne Hemingway, Co-founder at Charity Super.Mkt and partner at Hemingway Design, comments: “When we first set out on this mission, we had no idea whether it would work. We cobbled together a name, a visual identity, repurposed a pile of shop fittings, and assembled eight retail charities together for a four-week experiment in a former Topshop store in Brent Cross which had been graffitied on with an anti-Philip Green staff on its walls.”

“Within those four weeks, we showed how charity fashion deserves to be part of a modern retail offer, alongside the heavily-funded fast fashion brands with their marketing clout and retail infrastructure. Now more than ever, fashion is evolving particularly amongst young people who are more conscious of making sustainable choices and seeking out good quality, pre-loved clothing, and turning it into re-loved fashion. We are thrilled to have reached our £3 million charity milestone.”

“It is a credit to the charities who have participated, the people who have shopped with us, and to the landlords of our spaces who have been so generous. What’s more, we are now getting enquiries from overseas and from international brands who can see the value in supporting Charity Super.Mkt and the partner charities to deliver even more social and environmental value. What started as a four-week experiment may now be on its way to creating a new, purposeful, sustainably-focused business model.”

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Green retail was a key focus area for the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, sponsored by Vista Technology Support, Scala, CADS, 3D Cloud, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, Business France, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended last month’s gathering.