Taking clothes off the line
There have been a lot of ideas posted on this platform about how to develop a second hand clothes economy.
This is for good reason. Clothes are said to be responsible producing for a good chunk of CO2 emissions per year, plus there are chemicals used from production to point of sale and the fibrous waste from discarded clothes that lives on in the environment. Micro synthetic fibres are long term polluters,
There are a lot of op shops, and 'on- line' second hand clothes sites to help recycle clothes. Both are great.
For me, second hand clothes are really only viable if I can try them on. Or at least see them, before purchase.
On top of that I am conscious of the CO2 I would generate in having a product shipped to me from overseas or across the country. Plus Jeff Bezos is rich enough.
So I would support "Off Line Clothes' racks , suggested by someone else on this site being set up everywhere. This is a concept suggested by another GD user that suggests a new platform where second hand clothes can be sold on consignment like uber - really from any retail store that chooses to get involved - and has an app for it, say. This means clothes can be more widely sold from any shops owned by people who live in that community.
It could work like this:
1. Retail shops of any kind that have the app and choose to have a rack of second hand clothes for sale on consignment, could have a sign out the front saying it is an 'off line' clothes venue.
2. Anyone can drop their second hand (washed and ironed) clothes there to sell on consignment by arrangement with that retailer. They could even promote their clothes that are being sold at that location, on an app.
3. The person selling the second hand clothes makes a few dollars from a sale, with a few dollars going to the retail shop owner.
4. Retailers could be graded for integrity by buyers and sellers through the app, like uber.
5. The retailer wins by making additional revenue from clothes sales to add to their revenue from their normal business, whatever that business might be, AND from additional foot traffic of second hand clothes shoppers coming into their store.
6. Everyone has more clothing options.
Like the original poster of this idea, I am not claiming copyright over this idea. So good luck if you want to have a go at doing this in your community, or if you want to develop an app and grow a global business.
I'll just be one of your customers. I wouldn't mind making a few bucks from the clothes I don't wear.
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