The circular economy trend is gradually catching on in Romania. The retailer Auchan has announced that it has reached a network of 10 locations selling worn clothes, after opening its latest store in Craiova.
On 1 September, the tenth “A new life by Auchan” store opened in the Craiova hypermarket, in Electroputere Parc. Through a partnership with the local fashion chain Monique Investment, customers will be able to find, in addition to the clothing collections in Auchan’s offer, a selection of pre-purchased clothes in perfect condition. The dedicated space within the hypermarket is 43 sqm and offers customers a wide range of clothing for women, men and children, with sale prices ranging from 5-150 lei.
Launched in February this year, the circular economy project is a first for the local retail market and is one of the solutions proposed by Auchan as part of its strategy to reduce its carbon footprint.
In the last 7 months, more than 90,000 items of clothing have been sold in the O nouă vita shops opened in Auchan hypermarkets in 9 cities, in partnership with the LaMajole and Monique Investment retail chains, with the Timișoara Nord store being the one with the most sales. Women’s blouses and dresses are among the best-selling items in the New Life network.
The company aims to extend the program to the rest of the country’s hypermarkets, complementing its existing actions to reduce textile pollution. Auchan aims to open three more such stores by the end of this year and another 12 during the following year.