Focus on disruption and sustainability as second hand clothing platform Loopi goes live in the UK

Loopi, a second hand clothing platform, launches in the UK today.

It's the brainchild of Sarah Dean and Carl Walker who previously launched and scaled GoThrift to a £12 million turnover business in five years.

For sellers, unlike traditional platforms such as Vinted or Depop, Loopi eliminates the hassle of uploading images, crafting descriptions, and navigating pricing complexities. Sellers enter the gender, category, and brand of each item and receive an instant purchase price in cash or credit to spend on the Loopi website.

People can sell multiple items within seconds, and Loopi also provides a shipping label for sending in their items. Once the items are authenticated, payouts are made within 48 hours. Plus, sellers have the option to donate part or all of their earnings to charity.

For buyers, Loopi claims to offer a curated selection of quality branded items at a fraction of the cost, with brands including Levi’s, Ralph Lauren, Reiss, Burberry, and Barbour.

The business received its first two rounds of investment in 2022 and 2023, with its most significant funding coming in August 2024. The latest round saw backing from Mohsin Issa and his partner Victoria Price, under Boulder Investco. a private investment fund dedicated to supporting high growth UK startups.

Loopi has also joined forces with Cancer Research UK as part of the launch. Sellers will have the option to turn their unwanted clothing into donations to the charity.

Walker says: "We’re solving the problem of decluttering wardrobes in a way that’s simple, fast, and impactful. With 1.6 billion items of clothing sitting idle in wardrobes across the UK, we’ve created a platform that helps people turn those forgotten clothes into cash or credit in just a few clicks.”

“Through our partnership with Cancer Research UK, sellers can go a step further by supporting life saving research. Loopi isn’t just a solution; it’s a step towards a more sustainable and purposeful fashion future."

Loopi’s ambition is to sell at least 500,000 items in 2025.

Dean comments: "Loopi makes it incredibly easy for people to sell to us, and with so many clothes sitting unused in wardrobes across the UK, sourcing them is no problem. We know there’s a strong demand for high quality secondhand pieces, so once we work our magic to make them look great, selling them on Loopi won't be an issue. We're creating a double-edged sword that will disrupt the buying and selling markets for second hand clothing."

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Sustainable retail was a key focus area at the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards 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 November's gathering.