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

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