UK shoppers 'Spring Clean' their wardrobes at M&S

-435,000 items shwopped as record numbers give a new life to old clothes in M&S stores
- 604 items shwopped on average per minute in stores nationwide
- The items donated will raise an estimated £504,600 for Oxfam
- Castlepoint store ‘Top of the Shwops’ with 3,502 donated in 12 hours
- Women’s tops most shwopped item

SPRING arrived in record fashion in Marks & Spencer stores this May, with staggering numbers of shwoppers descending on the retail giant to shwop their unwanted clothes. The bi-annual One Day Wardrobe Clear Out money-off event, in conjunction with Oxfam, saw 435,000 used and unwanted items shwopped over 12 hours – the equivalent of 604 items a minute.

The event, as part of M&S and Oxfam’s sustainable fashion initiative Shwopping, will see every item donated go on to be re-sold, re-used or recycled by the charity, cutting waste and raising much-needed funds in its fight against global poverty. The record 435,000 items shwopped will raise an estimated £504,600 for Oxfam.

One Day Wardrobe Clear Out on Thursday 9th May asked customers to help ease the landfill burden as part of a special ‘money off’ Shwopping event, with all those who shwopped receiving a £5 money-off voucher.

Marks & Spencer’s Castlepoint store was crowned ‘Top of the Shwops’ with 3,502 items donated in their 12 hours of Shwopping hours.

Adam Elman, Head of Marks & Spencer’s Plan A Delivery, said:

“It’s amazing to see so many people taking part and shwopping their clothes to support Oxfam. 435,000 clothes donated is a fantastic achievement; this is by far the most successful clothes-recycling event we have ever had! It doesn't stop here, with over 1 billion items sent to landfill each year in the UK, we hope that customers will continue to adopt a ‘buy one, give one back’ culture when they shop and help us to build a more sustainable future.”

Since its launch in April last year, Oxfam has received over 4.3 million items of clothing thanks to Shwopping, worth over £2.8 million for the charity. All money raised by Shwopping is used to support Oxfam’s projects around the world working to alleviate poverty.

Shwopping

Shwopping is Marks & Spencer’s revolutionary clothes recycling initiative where customers can donate any item of clothing, of any brand, to be re-used, resold or recycled by charity partner Oxfam.  Launched by Plan A ambassador Joanna Lumley, M&S believes Shwopping can revolutionise clothes shopping by asking consumers to adopt a ‘buy one, give one’ mentality and encourage greater sustainability on the high street.

Marks & Spencer