Swappis: loyalty rewards and community spirit encourage circularity in your wardrobe
The fashion industry is the second largest polluter and has the second highest water consumption, according to UNCTAD, with a business model built on a linear approach.
Swappis is a clothing retail store in central Budapest aiming to counteract this with a business model that focuses on circularity and the reuse of second-hand clothes. This clothing retail store offers consumers a sustainable option that reduces overconsumption, and focuses on local solutions to expend the lifespan of clothing items. Their vision is to encourage a community of like-minded people.
Customers go through a process to:
- select the clothes and accessories they want to give away and bring them to the Swappis store
- receive points according to the quality and condition of the clothes, which are registered on the customer's account
- shop using the credit points, which can bring a 50% discount online or in the 'Swap-shop'.
Swappis believes that this membership loyalty mechanism maintains a stronger relationship with their customers than other second-hand stores.
Swappis has achieved the following:
- 4000 registered members in their database, who bring in about 3-5 kg of second-hand clothes per person per year
- donations of unsold clothing to local communities or for recycling at redesign factories
- awareness-raising through social media to encourage their community to follow sustainable lifestyle patterns and adhere to conscious consumer behaviour
- contributions to climate change mitigation by reducing carbon emissions and minimising waste in the clothing industry.