As circular fashion continues to grow worldwide, Australia looks to be following the trend, showing strong support for the fashion resale market.
Sustainable fashion retailer, Reluv-first, researched the growth of sustainable fashion, delving into the sector’s environmental impacts.
It found that 72 per cent of Australians have purchased at least one item of second-hand clothing in the past 12 months. While 53 per cent are willing to spend more on sustainable products, 38 per cent of consumers reported that they prioritise sustainable brands when shopping.
The fashion resale market in the country was also responsible for A$527.5 million in revenue, with 3000 op stores (shops selling second-hand goods for charitable funds) across the nation’s capital cities.
In addition, the study found that op stores as the first option when purchasing pre-loved clothing, with half of the respondents (52.6 per cent) having purchased from them.
There are now also more options for Australians to shop sustainably, with approximately 13 online-only resale platforms, 100 brick-and-mortar second-hand clothing stores, and traditional retailers like department store David Jones have joined the fashion resale trend and have started offering resale and rental options to customers.
Unfortunately, despite these positive steps, overproduction and excessive consumption continues to be a challenge for the fashion industry – a trend that has been attributed to the effects of fast fashion.
Karen Freidin, CEO, Reluv Clothing, stated that the normalisation of purchasing pre-loved clothing, along with the growth of resale platforms across the country, will hopefully contribute to circular fashion and more conscious clothing consumption.
“Growing environmental awareness, as well as vintage and thrifting trends, are all helping to fast track a circular fashion model,” added Freidin.
