The new Kids o’Clock and Harvey Nichols partnership set to revolutionise the circular economy movement in childrenswear.
Peer-to-peer marketplace Kids o’Clock is the brainchild of former Net-a-Porter, Moda Operandi and Harvey Nichols buyer, Laura Roso Vidrequin. A London-based mother, Roso Vidrequin, is determined to revolutionise the way parents around the world shop for their children by providing a circular-economy solution. With Kids o’Clock, she has created a safe platform where parents can go to share and make a conscious effort to reduce their carbon footprint.
The childrenswear rental and resale category is still a relatively small sector within the fashion industry.
This is despite 90% of kids’ clothing only being worn a few handfuls of times. Children go through approximately 8-10 sizes from ages 0-3 years. This equates to a lot of clothing and a potentially large amount of textile waste. In September, Kids o’Clock joined forces with luxury fashion retailer Harvey Nichols to help provide a solution to this problem; launching a first-of-its-kind childrenswear resale drop-off destination within the department store in celebration of Harvey Nichols’ newly launched Childrenswear floor.
Roso Vidrequin says; “We are thrilled to launch our first in-store partnership with a leading luxury retailer like Harvey Nichols. The concept enables anyone to become a pre-loved donater or buyer in a very organic and easy way. Donating pre-loved items hugely extends the lifespan of children’s clothing. It offers a dynamic way for consumers to do their bit for the environment whilst still allowing them the positive connotation attached to buying something new when shopping.
“We want more people to see that they can buy less, buy better, donate and buy pre-loved too. It is all part of the same cycle, and we hope this partnership helps to raise awareness around resale items, enabling more people to join the revolution.”
The Kids o’Clock x Harvey Nichols resale concept
The notion is simple. Called The Drop Off, customers will be encouraged to donate their children’s pre-loved clothing at the drop-off destination in-store. From there, items will be collected and re-sold globally through the Kids o’Clock website. As a reward for donating items, customers receive a £20 voucher to spend on the Harvey Nichols Childrenswear floor.
“Following the recent launch of our kidswear department, we’re delighted to be partnering with Kids o’Clock,” says Laura Larbalestier, fashion director at Harvey Nichols. “This innovative new service provides our customers with a sustainable solution for pre-loved children’s clothing that closes the fashion circle. Not only does it extend the life of items that are all-too-quickly grown out of, but a percentage of proceeds is given to charity, and anyone donating a bag of clothes will receive a kidswear voucher to spend in-store.”
The global second-hand clothes market is estimated by Boston Consulting Group to be worth up to $40bn a year, about 2% of the total apparel market. The pre-worn segment is also expected to grow 15-20% a year for the next five years. Kids o’Clock alone has seen over 150% increase in sign-ups on a month-on-month basis since launch. It currently hosts thousands of sellers and buyers monthly, further confirming the appetite amongst modern parents to list their children’s clothing, accessories, toys, prams, car seats and other essentials for resale, as well as buy these pre-loved pieces at a fraction of the retail price.
A fully scalable concept
Whether you are a major department store or a small independent boutique; the resale and rental revolution is taking over and everyone is being encouraged to become a part of it. The Harvey Nichols partnership is the first of many that Kids o’Clock has planned for the brand. Helping retailers big and small with their recyclable approach, it will be bringing numerous drop-off destinations – each bespoke to the individual retailer – to the UK and France over the coming months.
As fashion retailers look to boost their sustainability credentials, there is a lot of room for partnerships within both the retail and resale categories, with brands sharing the same mission, values and end goal. Kids o’Clock’s partnership with Harvey Nichols is a true indication of the future of retail going hand in hand with the circular economy revolution.
For further information on Kids O’Clock, please click here.
