INSPIRATION: The Second- Hand Shopping Centre ' ReTuna Aterbruksgalleria'

A New Concept

An Article written for Across Magazine titled ‘The Second-hand Shopping Center’ (2017) explains the popularity and importance for their new shopping centre ‘

’, which is in Sweden. The shopping centre contains a ‘drop off’ point where customers can donate items that they no longer need, then can shop for something new, all under one roof. According to Anna Bergstrom (2017), the idea of the centre allows customers to leisurely enjoy the shopping experience, while feeling content that they have done something good for the environment. Neo-ecology is not a new idea as such, yet business models and new concepts are emerging to change the way consumers shop. For many consumers in the UK, this idea is very fresh and something many would struggle to understand, however second-hand businesses, like ReTuna Aterbruksgalleria, are booming across Sweden, and the majority of Europe. For instance, Waste & Resources Action Programme (2017), found that two out of three consumers bought or received used clothes. This shift in shopping habits is evident globally too. The Association of Resale Professionals (NARTS) (2017), state that the resale industry is one of the fastest growing retail sectors in American and has grown by 7%. This growth and consumer movement poses major threats for traditional retailers and calls for a radical change and rethink across the high streets. However, just 23% of respondents were willing to wear second-hand clothes according to Waste & Resources Action Programme (2017). Therefore, this indicates the lack of consumer acceptance towards second-hand clothing is still prevalent within the UK.

This shopping centre is similar to the idea that I have for my topic. Seeing something like this work successfully and effectively change the shopping habits of a city is really inspiring. I do believe the UK are significantly behind in terms of recycling and do waste a considerable amount of perfectly acceptable items. However, this store truly shows that it is possible to create not only a shop, but a whole shopping centre which sells solely used goods.