Why this experiment was conducted: scepticism about second-hand clothes
The clothing industry is a major polluter, and the second-hand market is an important alternative to new clothes. While more and more Dutch consumers are turning to pre-owned clothing, a large group remains sceptical. According to a target group study conducted in 2020, they wonder whether they will be able to find a suitable second-hand item, and whether it is hygienic. The best way to overcome this scepticism is to create positive experiences with second-hand clothing. With this purpose in mind, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management initiated the Preloved Fashion Fair.

Type of intervention: Preloved Fashion Fair campaign
A campaign was developed and run in Utrecht and Leiden in 2022. The Preloved Fashion Fair consisted of the following elements:
• pop-up stores with second-hand clothes in city centres, at prominent locations to introduce the second-hand concept to new target groups
• existing second-hand clothes stores that are put in the spotlight
• infuencers sharing about their second-hand clothes
• content on how hip, unique and sustainable second-hand clothes are
• reminders of desired behaviour when buying second-hand clothes
• a competition to reward the desired behaviour

Method used: baseline and impact measurements with vox pop interviews
The campaign was evaluated by means of vox pop interviews in Utrecht and Leiden (the experimental cities) and in Nijmegen (the control city). The interviews were conducted before, during and after the campaign in the shopping area where the campaign was visible. A total of nearly 1,000 people were asked about the campaign, their behaviour, intention and atitude towards second-hand: 395 in Utrecht, 334 in Leiden and 245 in Nijmegen.

Results:
In Leiden, Utrecht and Nijmegen, people's intention to buy second-hand clothes was significantly increased after the campaign. Only in Leiden does this increase appear attributable to the campaign; there, people's intention also increased during the Preloved Fashion Fair. The proportion of second-hand garments that people said they had bought also increased in that city.
In Utrecht, no significant effect was found during the campaign, possibly because the campaign was less noticeable in the large shopping area than in the compact centre of Leiden. The increase in Nijmegen (control city) may be attributable to other second-hand clothing campaigns run during the same period.
There were also differences in attitude, although these cannot be directly attributed to the campaign. In all three cities, the degree to which respondents considered second-hand clothes as trendy increased. In Leiden and Nijmegen, the sustainability benefits of second-hand clothes were also rated higher at the time of the impact measurement than when the baseline measurement was taken. It is worth noting that the attitude was very positive, anyway. Most respondents think second-hand clothes are trendy, sustainable and easy to find. This represents an improvement, therefore, on the earlier target group study from 2020.

Impact: more targeted follow-up and contribution to climate
This evaluation will allow the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management to make its 2023 campaign more effective, while new insights have been gained for promoting sustainable textile behaviour. It is now known that an intervention in a smaller city (Leiden) is more effective than in a large city (Utrecht). And that the campaign can focus less on how easy stores are to find or attitudes towards second-hand, as these no longer appear to be major barriers. In future, the focus can be placed on converting this positive attitude into actual behaviour. Cutting down on new clothing purchases is environmentally beneficial, since clothing production requires large amounts of water and energy.

Source: https://www.binnl.nl/home+-+en/knowledge/publications/bin+nl+publications/HandlerDownloadFiles.ashx?idnv=2719979