Henrik Støvring originally hails from Denmark where buying, selling and swapping second-hand goods is mainstream.
He’s the also the man behind Re:Circle where people can buy and sell preloved clothes or goods, though the concept differs from the usual consignment store model where sales are split with the seller 50/50. At Re:Circle sellers can rent-a-rack, curate and price their items, and Re:Circle takes a 20 per cent cut to cover rental and admin.
Inspired by Scandinavian Re:Use Markets, Henrik says the rent-a-rack concept of his stores originated in Finland and was later introduced to Denmark.
“It’s your own little shop within a shop,” says Henrik. “I didn’t invent it from scratch, I just turned it Kiwi. It’s something that has developed and evolved over many years in Scandinavia. It takes the workload off the sellers and the buyer gets to shop a huge selection of quality clothing.”
Re:Circle has stores in Hamilton and Onehunga (Auckland) and recently opened a third in Takapuna (Auckland) in the space that was formerly The Commons restaurant. Henrik’s goal is for Re:Circle to be New Zealand’s first “Flea Super Market” that connects sellers and buyers in an offline universe of shopping, and he plans to roll out Re:Circle nationally.
Circular economy
Helping to create a more circular economy in New Zealand is also a big driver for Henrik.
According to a report commissioned by Auckand Council, Aucklanders alone are consuming more than 24,000 tonnes of fashion clothing per annum but retaining only 7,800 tonnes for continued use and wear.
“For me, setting up Re:Circle is 100 per cent about reuse and sustainability,” he says.
The shop fit out has also been built by him from renewable or sourced second-hand materials while most store accessories, aside from the coat hangers which he wanted to be uniform, are second hand.
Eighty per cent of items for sale at Re:Circle are clothing and the other 20 per cent is a mix of homewares, tools and sometimes vinyl.
He’s hopeful that Re:Circle Takapuna will build a community like it has in Onehunga and Hamilton. “We’ve got people coming in daily to check their rack. They might have a plant for sale and want to water their plant, talk to the staff and other sellers, exchanging experiences. People become very connected to the concept,” he says. “It’s not a social enterprise. Let’s make that very clear but right away it became a community business where people connect.”
For the most part, sellers are people wanting to clear out their wardrobe and make a return on quality pre-loved items. Some sellers at Re:Circle have had their own shops in the past that have closed down. Prior to renting a rack at Re:Circle they were selling their wares online or using Facebook Marketplace but sick of the hassle of it. “Whereas here people can try it on, see if they like it and the deal is done,” says Henrik.
It also offers an opportunity for fledging fashion designers and home sewers to test the market for their creations in the retail space, and anyone to sell unwanted pre-loved quality items.
