Causee, a new entrant to the secondhand fashion resale market, goes live this autumn, preps UK launch

25 Aug

Causee, a new not-for-profit online marketplace that turns everyday buying and selling into charitable giving, is launching this autumn, with education charity Pepala announced as its founding charity partner.

The UK-based venture will initially focus on secondhand fashion, enabling people to buy and sell pre-owned items, while also giving small businesses and crafters a platform to sell their products. Causee uses buyer protection fees to cover its costs, with all remaining surplus profits donated to charity. Buyers and sellers are not asked to make an additional donation or opt into a charitable contribution.

For Tanweer Khan, Founder and CEO at Causee, comments: “The growing economic impact of Gen Z - a generation raised in the shadow of the climate crisis - has made CSR initiatives standard practice for retailers. In fact, with the UK sustainable fashion market projected to reach $2.2 billion by 2033, it’s rare that a major consumer facing brand misses a chance to highlight their annual CSR, sustainability, or purpose messaging.”

“But for me, retail is changing. Consumers are increasingly looking beyond this and asking whether a company’s values are reflected in the way it actually operates. Too often, charitable giving is treated as an optional extra, whether that’s asking customers to donate at the checkout or running a short-term campaign. The goal with Causee is to disrupt traditional ecommerce by turning online shopping into a force for good. It’s built around the concept that social impact should be part of the business model itself, allowing surplus profits to directly support charities like Pepala rather than shareholders.”

Founded in 2025, Pepala works to divert unwanted educational resources from landfill and into schools across Malawi. Since launching, the charity has delivered more than 120,000 donated items, including books, stationery, sports equipment and school supplies.

Amara Sharif, Executive Director at Pepala, says: “We're thrilled to partner with Causee and become its founding charity partner. What makes this collaboration so exciting is the shared belief that everyday actions can create meaningful, sustainable, change. By connecting commerce with social impact, Causee is creating a new way for people to support causes they care about, and we’re excited to see the difference both this partnership and this new retail model can make.”

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Online marketplaces will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.