Fretex Sees 36% Decline in Donations: Why More People Are Selling Clothes Instead of Donating

(The messenger) – I think that with the current state of the economy, many people may choose to sell their clothes through Tise or Finn, or through

A shop that sells goods on behalf of others, usually for a commission, and the shop takes a share of the profit when the goods are sold.

People may be heavier, and often the threshold for donating clothing and items has become higher.

This is what Oda Foldøy says, who was recently hired as a store manager at Fretex in Asker.

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In a press release from Fretex, it appears that the amount of clothing in the Fretex boxes has decreased by as much as 36 percent since 2018.

In 2018, they received 20,800 tons of clothes in the collection boxes, and the figure was 13,250 tons in 2023.

– I think there are many reasons why Fretex gets less clothing, but mainly because there are so many more recycling players now. Previously, Fretex was more or less alone in the market for collecting used clothes, but now there is more, and people often choose to sell their clothes on digital platforms.

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Foldøy says that she thinks it’s very positive that selling used clothes is thriving, and that the most important thing is that people are using used clothes instead of buying new. .

Nevertheless, she emphasizes the work of the Salvation Army, which you contribute to when you donate clothes to Fretex.

– Our profits go to the charitable work of the Salvation Army, and last year almost NOK 29 million from the stores went to social work. And there’s everything from helping with a roof over your head, food, addiction treatment, to lonely seniors, there’s just an amazing number of great projects that The Salvation Army contributes to.

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– It’s a win

Now people can donate to Fretex through Posten, and Foldøy hopes it will make donating easier for everyone.

– I hope that when people no longer have an obstacle to not have a collection box nearby, you can just wrap it in some paper or take a plastic bag, the code you get from a site -web Fretex to write on it, and put it in the mailbox or deliver it to the nearest post office in the store.

She hopes that this will increase the amount of clothing given to Fretex.

– It’s a win, I think. It’s completely free, you can clean your wardrobe and it ends here with us. And then the Salvation Army will get the money in the end, which is our whole point.

He has compensated for the decline

Hilde Kjønstad, chain manager for Fretex, says that things have gone well with the Asker store despite the reduction in deliveries in the city.

– We have delivered more clothes, shoes, accessories and interior items from our sorting facility in Oslo, to compensate for the reduction in deliveries in Asker.

Kjønstad says the store has seen a steady increase in customers and turnover in recent years.

Nevertheless, she hopes that there will be more people in Asker to donate clothes to Fretex.

– Our shop in Asker is happy to accept good donations that we can sell in our shop and we see that many people want to contribute to the charitable work of the Salvation Army for those who have a hard time by giving over to Fretex, says Kjønstad.

– Great interest in second-hand clothes in Asker

Foldøy says that used clothes are very popular among the younger generation.

– I see that there is a great interest in second-hand clothes in Asgar, among other things among many scholars. So I really want to follow what young people are looking for and want second hand, so that we have a selection of clothes that will appeal to everyone, says Foldøy.

The new store manager is looking forward to more work in the Fretex store.

– It is so comfortable here in the middle of Asker. And there’s such good collaboration between the shops, so I’m excited to get to know the locals.