Selfridges relies on the second hand to revive

Quite a symbol.

The British department store chain Selfridges announced on Friday that it wants the various areas of the circular economy - second-hand, rental, repair and recycled products - to represent 45% of its transactions by 2030. If the high-end brand already offered second-hand and rental, this is a radical change of scale.

This is summed up by Managing Director Andrew Keith when he talks about

The group, which has 18 stores around the world under several banners, including an iconic store on Oxford Street in London, is also committed to stocking in 2030 only products that meet strict environmental and ethical standards.

The development of the second hand is the striking phenomenon of recent years in Europe and the United States, in fashion, electronics, furniture... It responds to two aspirations of the moment: that of buying at a low price and that of to protect the environment.

In fashion in France, the occasion weighs nearly one in five purchases when it is made online, according to the research office Foxintelligence.

The success of Vinted testifies to this.

Luxury is also affected.

Sites have developed in this niche such as Vestiaire collective and Monogram.

And the signs are there.

In France, the two flagships of Boulevard Haussmann in Paris, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, have dedicated large spaces to second-hand.

An investment that allowed them to attract a younger clientele.

Rental and recycling, on the other hand, are less advanced.

At Selfridges, second-hand sales soared 240% last year, and 28,000 items were repaired, a third of which were sports shoes.