The new Charity Super.Mkt pop up at Fenwick, London
A couple of days ago I went along to the inaugural ‘First Rummage event’ – or launch day – at the latest Charity Super.Mkt Fenwick pop up shop.
If you haven’t already heard of Charity Super.Mkt, they’re the UK’s first ever multi-charity shop, and it works very much in the same way as the concessions areas do in traditional department stores.
For their newest venture they’ve taken over part of the ground floor of what used to be the Fenwick flagship store on Bond Street, slap bang in the middle of central London. It’s a perfect location, in a beautiful building.
The charity shops with stands in this particular pop-up are:
- Traid
- Cancer Research UK
- Shelter
- Shaw Trust
- Havens Hospices
These are all great charities, and well worth supporting.
My first impressions of the Charity Super.Mkt Fenwick pop up
The inaugural first rummage was very, very well organised – I was impressed! The store was well laid out and all the charity shops had clearly put a lot of effort into curating the items they’d put out on sale.
Everything on the rails was neatly grouped together by colour and by type of garment, so whether you were looking for blue denim, a red tweed jacket or a little black dress, that made it so much easier. There were also lots of great quality scarves, and big brand and designer handbags and shoes on shelves around the rails.
Most of the brands I saw were mid-end high street and upwards, as high as top end designer, so you’re more likely to find Principles and Paul Smith than Primark. That’s cleverly in keeping with the surrounds of Bond Street, and some distance away from the bargain bin.
What’s best at this pop-up?
My general first impression was that this place is particularly well stocked for well made jeans, handbags, pashminas, blazers and blouses. Most of the clothes sizes I saw were between a UK 8 and a UK 18.
While most of the stock is second hand and in good-to-excellent condition, I also spotted a few designer items that looked tags-on pristine. The dress I made a beeline for turned out to be one of these beauties, and although it was a very fair deal for what it was I had to put it back on the rail – my budget didn’t stretch that far (£230).
Interestingly, there was no ‘charity shop’ smell at all, none of that all too common musty, fusty whiff that you get almost everywhere that sells second hand goods. They hadn’t sprayed loads of perfume or air freshener around, it just smelt clean and neutral.
The staff seemed very on the ball as the store quickly filled up with shoppers, and as I wandered around looking at everything I also noticed that more items were already being discreetly ferried in from the stockroom. If you visit next week I’m sure the rails will be just as packed as they were on opening day.
The only thing to watch out for is that there’s only one changing room area, so you might have to factor in queue time if you want to try things on. Oh, and a couple of attendees were a bit pushy and grabby, but everybody else was very friendly and polite, so it wasn’t a bun fight or handbags at dawn situation.
They also had a DJ spinning retro disco vinyl which made the atmosphere even more fun, and there’ll be more DJs at the weekends.
More about Charity Super.Mkt
Every pound spent in Charity Super.Mkt furthers environmental benefits and social good. The sale of second hand fashion through their stores actively reduces carbon emissions, avoiding new production and supply chains. They’ve sold over 180,000 items, which has kept approximately 53 tonnes of clothes out of landfill.
The co-founders are Maria Chenoweth, CEO of the sustainable clothing charity, TRAID, and Wayne Hemingway, founder of British fashion brand, Red or Dead and Hemingway Design.
Since their first ‘bricks and mortar’ shop opened in January 2023, Charity Super.Mkt has raised nearly £1.6 million for various charities. Past stores have included Reading, Glasgow, and Bluewater. Current stores are in Bristol, Oxford, Fenwick Bond Street and Westfield White City London.
Charity Super.Mkt Fenwick pop-up details
The standard Fenwick pop-up opening hours will be: Mon-Sat 10-7pm, and Sunday 12-6pm until the end of the run. More here.
Address: Fenwick, 63 New Bond Street, London, W1S 1RQ, United Kingdom. Open 9th February to 23rd February.
If you want to follow them on social media, look out for the #CharitySuperMkt hashtag.
Enjoying this post? You may also like:
Are you interested in visiting this Charity Super.Mkt Fenwick shop on Bond Street, or have you already been for a look around? Let us know.
