ReShare Store The Netherlands: second hand to support The Salvation Army
Ten Dutch stores sell vintage clothes in good quality to help minorities, like homeless people, via the Leger des Heils
How it started
In 2013, the contours of the first ReShare Store were outlined. Due to the economic crisis, more and more people turned to the Salvation Army for free clothing. The demand for cheap clothing grew in all walks of life. This started our search for a way to provide for all these people. A fresh store, with quality clothing, close to the people and close to the heart of the Salvation Army. That had to be it. The first store started as a pilot store in Groningen (Westerkade). With a temporary design and simple interior, we took a year to test whether the store was successful. And yes. It only took a moment and a large, regular customer base managed to find our store. A year later, the pilot store moved to its definitive and current location in Oosterstraat.here for all branches.
How it continues
We are far from done. There is a growing demand for second-hand clothing and the ReShare Store has a good answer to that. In the coming years we will expand by about four branches per year. We are looking for suitable, affordable rental properties in places where many people come. Do you have a tip? Then look at contact.
How it works
The ReShare Store is 100% part of the Salvation Army. This organization has been collecting clothing for people who can use it since 1885. Then with a rag cart; The Salvation Army now has a logistical operation to collect approximately 26 million textiles (clothing, shoes, bedding, etc.) every year. We are the largest textile collector in the Netherlands. A large part of the clothing goes to second-hand shops in the Netherlands and abroad. In the Netherlands there are ‘Korpswinkels’ from the Salvation Army, these are run by volunteers from the Church Society. This offer has been supplemented since 2014 with the more retail-driven ReShare Stores. Clothes that do not go to shops are reserved for emergency aid or recycled for cleaning rags or insulation material, for example. Read here more about the destination of the collected textiles.
#1 PEOPLE
The ReShare Store focuses, among other things, on people with a small wallet. People for whom new clothes are a big expense, as a single person, family or student. We offer modern quality clothing. We also think it is important that people have a pleasant shopping experience . So no musty smell and dirty carpet. We offer a fresh store with a wide range. Nice staff, with a listening ear if you need some extra attention. A cup of coffee to warm up or relax. The ReShare Store is a social store in a good location, where no one crosses the threshold with shame. We give a voucher to people who have no money for second-hand clothing, for example in collaboration with the Food Bank.
#2 ENVIRONMENT
The ReShare Store is also there for people who shop second-hand from an environmental point of view. Awareness about the production of new textiles is growing. That 17,000 liters of water are needed to make a kilo of cotton, in many countries where there is a shortage. That decreasing quality (and price) of textiles means that the lifespan of textiles is also shorter. This further fuels consumerism. The Salvation Army is very actively involved in high-quality textile recycling. This means that good textiles are sold in our stores, among other places. We try to make clothing again from worn textiles . With this we really give substance to the textile cycle. Super durable. Knowing more?
Cities in The Netherlands that have a ReShare Store
- Alkmaar
- Arnhem
- Rotterdam
- Breda
- Groningen
- Nijmegen
- Tilburg
- Deventer
- Drodrecht
- The Hague: @denhaagresharestore
