Primark is set to launch its first ever Swap Shop initiative, offering customers the chance to exchange pre-loved and vintage clothing at select stores across the UK. The initiative, developed in partnership with circular clothing company Verte, will be part of Primark’s celebration of London Fashion Week, with pop-ups planned in London, Manchester, and Birmingham throughout September and October.
Primark Swap Shops: Dates and Locations
The first Primark Swap Shop will open on Friday, 13th September at Primark’s Westfield Stratford store in London, as part of the London Fashion Week City-Wide Celebration 2024. Shoppers can visit the Swap Shop on the ground floor for three days until Sunday, 15th September. Following this, the Swap Shop will head to Manchester Market Street on Monday, 16th September and Tuesday, 17th September. Later in the autumn, Primark’s Birmingham High Street store will host the pop-up on Wednesday, 16th and Thursday, 17th October.
How the Swap Shop Works
Customers can bring up to five items of adult clothing, as well as accessories like bags, hats, or scarves, in good condition, to be assessed and swapped for digital tokens via the Verte app. These tokens can then be used to purchase pre-loved clothing from Verte’s collection. Special gold tokens will be awarded for luxury items in near-new condition, which can be traded for other high-quality gold items. Any clothes that remain unswapped will either be donated to local charities or placed in Primark‘s donation boxes, available in stores across the UK.
Sustainability and the Circular Fashion Economy
Lynne Walker, Director of Primark Cares, expressed excitement about the partnership with Verte, saying: “We truly believe in helping people to love their clothes for longer and our latest partnership with Verte allows us to do just that. Welcoming Verte into our stores will help us to better engage with a community of like-minded fashion lovers.” The initiative reflects Primark’s growing focus on sustainability, with the Swap Shop pop-ups designed to encourage more customers to participate in the circular fashion economy.
Verte’s founder, Jessica Brunt, also highlighted the value of the initiative: “Swapping is a great way to access pre-loved in an affordable and inclusive way, and the more people who are exposed to the idea, the better it is for the planet.” The collaboration is expected to demonstrate that second-hand clothing can be both stylish and sustainable.
Primark’s Commitment to Sustainable Fashion
This initiative aligns with Primark’s ongoing efforts to make pre-loved clothing more accessible. Since 2022, Primark has been offering unique vintage clothes through its partnership with Vintage Wholesale Company, available via the Wornwell collection in ten stores across the UK. Primark also runs a ‘Love it for Longer’ repair workshop programme, teaching customers basic sewing and repair techniques to extend the life of their clothing. These workshops are offered in select stores and online via repair videos on Primark’s website.
For more information on upcoming Swap Shop events or to register, visit Eventbrite.
