Everyday Runway:Trade Me Takes Pre-loved Fashion To The Runway To Encourage Kiwi To Go Circular

Auckland, New Zealand: New insights from
Trade Me’s annual
Circular Economy Report, due to be released in its entirety
next week, have revealed the treasure trove of sellable
fashion items New Zealanders are sitting on, with the
average Kiwi having seven unused items in their wardrobe
that could be turned into cash (totalling 11 million items
across the country). The total value of our unused fashion
pieces equates to $300 million for all of
Aotearoa.

To
encourage Kiwi to get behind a circular fashion economy,
Trade Me is offering free selling this week (20-26 February)
in its Clothing & Fashion category*, where consumers can
list and sell items for free, putting more in their back
pocket for their own purchases. With the increase in
listings, fashion lovers will have the opportunity to shop
for their favourite pre-loved brands, saving them money,
with less impact on the planet.

To coincide with the
week, Trade Me is presenting Aotearoa’s first-ever
pre-owned biddable fashion show – Everyday Runway.
Renowned fashion stylist and director, Sammy Salsa has
curated the one-of-a-kind show that will feature outfits for
every occasion – from urban streetwear to high fashion
looks. Over 100 pieces will grace the runway, having been
hand-selected by Sammy from Trade Me
listings.

“Secondhand fashion should be a staple of
every good wardrobe. Hunting out pre-loved looks gives you
access to labels and items at significantly reduced prices,
meaning fashion lovers can get their hands on brands they
might not otherwise be able to add to their
wardrobe.

“Trade Me is home to thousands of
incredible pieces. The variety and quality of the fashion
featured in the Everyday Runway show is a testament to the
incredible looks you can source – and list – on the
platform. If more Kiwi get on board with listing the items
they have sitting unused in their wardrobe, the more
Aotearoa will be able to embrace pre-loved fashion,” says
Sammy.

Looks from Sammy’s secondhand collection were
showcased by a variety of local models, with actor Vinnie
Bennett leading the runway.

Broadcaster and popular TV
personality Sharyn Casey has also been showcasing and
embracing pre-loved fashion with Trade Me, rummaging through
her own wardrobe to find the seven unused items she could
list.

“I genuinely had no idea how many items I had
in my wardrobe that I didn’t use. With a few simple tips
and tricks for optimising my listing from Sammy, I was able
to list my seven items and use the profits to purchase
secondhand items myself. Although they’re pre-loved, to
me, they feel completely new,” says Sharyn.

Trade Me
also revealed new findings about New Zealanders’
likelihood to list their unused items. 72 per cent of Kiwi
with pre-loved items plan on selling at least some of their
clothing, with 9 per cent planning on selling all of it.
Younger Kiwi are more likely to list their clothing, with 84
per cent of millennials with unused clothing planning to
sell it.

The survey also revealed Kiwi are proud to
shop pre-loved. 84 per cent of respondents said they feel
proud of their secondhand items, compared with just 7 per
cent who said they feel embarrassed about not buying
new.

Trade Me’s Brand, Marketing and Communications
Director, Sally Feinson, says, “Kiwi are unknowingly
sitting on hundreds of dollars of potential profit in their
wardrobe. Everyday Runway shows us that fashion doesn’t
have to cost the world. By simply looking in our wardrobes
at what we don’t currently use and listing it online, we
could all sell and buy ourselves a whole new
look.

“Amid the rising cost of living and increased
financial stress Kiwi are under, going secondhand is going
to become more accessible and realistic. It’s time we
embrace pre-owned as a major source of clothing and
fashion.”

Everyday Runway garments will be available
to bid on, with all proceeds going to RainbowYOUTH, a
charity providing resources and advocacy for Aotearoa’s
queer, gender diverse, takatāpui and intersex
youth.

Find Trade Me’s Everyday Runway store HERE
(link will be live from February 22).

Trade Me’s
Circular Economy Report 2023 is due to be released week
commencing February 27.

*Trade Me’s Free Selling
Week for Clothing & Fashion runs from 20-26 February and
offers no success fees on
sales

© Scoop Media