Co-founders: Wayne Hemingway and Maria Chenoweth
Recycled clothing is no longer just about thrift, writes JULENA DRUMI
Secondhand is no longer regarded as second best, as the charity sector has long discovered. It has also become highly fashionable with recycled clothing now being sought out, even among those who can afford to buy new.
Charity Super.Mkt, the ‘department store for secondhand style’, has celebrated a major milestone with sales exceeding £5 million, reflecting the growing popularity of high-quality pre-loved fashion.
The brand has also revealed that its Glasgow store in Buchanan Galleries has been its best performing location, generating more sales and more money for charities than any of its UK stores.
Launched in 2023 by Wayne Hemingway, co-founder of 1990s fashion brand Red or Dead, which once had a store on nearby Buchanan Street, and Maria Chenoweth, CEO of the charity TRAID, Charity Super.Mkt brings together curated collections from leading UK charities under one roof, redefining how people shop for pre-loved clothing.
To date, over 640,000 items of clothing have found new homes, generating over £5.6 million in sales to support partner charities including, Cancer Research UK, Age UK and in Scotland Prince and Princess of Wales Hospices and Shelter.
Since its inception, Charity Super.Mkt has opened in locations across the UK from Brent Cross to Bristol. As well as Glasgow, it currently has stores in Brighton, and Spitalfields in London.
Its flagship store at Buchanan Galleries has seen sales soar since opening in May 2024, reflecting strong demand for affordable, sustainable fashion.
To date, Glasgow shoppers have saved over 30,697 kilograms of pre-loved fashion, footwear, and accessories from being sent to landfill, and over 276 tonnes of harmful CO₂ gas has been diverted from the atmosphere – the equivalent of driving more than 1 million miles or planting 920 trees.
Hemingway said: “The Buchanan Galleries store is proving to be our best yet. We see a real cross-section of Glasgow’s most stylish – from students hunting for vintage gems to shoppers seeking designer bargains. The positive social and environmental impact has been incredible.
“We’re grateful to have reached this milestone and thankful for the support of Buchanan Galleries and the public. By purchasing second-hand fashion items from Charity Super.Mkt participants, including The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice, shoppers are helping provide specialist end-of-life care for people and their families across Glasgow.”
Kathy Murdoch, centre director at Buchanan Galleries, added: “Charity Super.Mkt has brought something truly unique to our guests.
“Its success demonstrates the growing appetite for sustainable fashion while supporting vital charitable causes. We’re excited to see what comes next as the brand continues to lead the way in high-quality, feel-good, eco-conscious shopping.”
Since its launch in January 2023, Charity Super.Mkt has:
- Sold 649,724 second-hand items, and in so doing…
- Stopped 185,626kg of clothing going to landfill
- Prevented 1,670,636 of CO2 emissions
- Saved 297,002 cubic metres of water
- Funded 3,000 hours of nursing care or over 2,700 hours of bereavement support calls from Marie Curie
- Paid for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to gain part time supported employment in one of Brandon Trust social enterprises and learn valuable vocational and life skills
- Funded a Shelter emergency helpline for 15 days, answering around 1,700 urgent calls
- Enabled Cancer Research to fund 192 more days of Cancer Nurses
- Funded 1,280 hours of specialist care for Havens Hospices nurses for a patient in their own home at the end of their life
- TRAID used its proceeds to support a new project providing schooling for the children of waste pickers at Dhaka’s Matuail landfill site
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