An ever increasing number of second hand shops in the area

THERE’S a boom in secondhand shops in the area, as savvy shoppers continue to move away from fast fashion.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed that charity shops and other second-hand retailers are thriving in our county.There are currently around 170 second-hand shops across Leicestershire - up from 165 in 2018, and an increase of 42% from the number seen in 2010.

That year there were only 120 second-hand shops in our area, and the number has been rising ever since.

The figure includes things like second-hand book shops as well as charity shops and vintage clothing stores, but excludes antique dealers.

A poll conducted earlier this year by waste management agency BusinessWaste.co.uk found that in the UK, almost half of people said they would buy pre-owned clothes.

Mark Hall, communications director of the agency, said: “People are turning to secondhand clothing - not just out of financial necessity, but out of choice.

“There’s a huge opportunity here for retailers to improve their green credentials and tap into a growing number of consumers who would like to buy stylish clothing, but without the ethical concerns.

“Some well-known retailers already feature vintage or preloved selections in store and there’s clearly room for these to be more widely available - consumers still have the benefit of shopping curated lines of second-hand pieces in line with their preferred style, but without the environmental impact.”

The boom reflects a national trend. Across the UK, there are now 11,290 second-hand shops - up from 11,215 in 2018, and an increase of 32% since 2010, when there were 8,550.