These 3 second-hand shops are new in Zurich – Tsüri.ch # MirSindTsüri
Those who want to shop in an environmentally conscious way or are looking for unusual things can hardly avoid second-hand shops. So you will find new shops for second-hand items in Zurich. We stopped by three second-hand shops that haven’t been around for that long and are well worth a visit.
October 30, 2021
Many of us have full wardrobes and still don’t know what to wear in the morning. But how much clothes we buy go unused in the closet? A German moving company will ask this question in 2018.
According to a survey of 18,000 households, it was estimated that it was in Switzerland remain about 79 percent of clothes bought unworn. Last but not least, the fast fashion trend and the associated price dumping in the clothing industry contribute to this tendency. Since clothing production consumes large amounts of water and energy, consider that from time to time Federal Office for the Environment the high clothing consumption in Switzerland is also problematic.
However, those who pass on clothes that are no longer used or buy second-hand clothes make a contribution to reducing environmental pollution. The same applies to other consumer goods such as electrical appliances or toys (by the way, here are 8 shops where you can mend your favorite items).
Second hand shops help to get working but no longer used goods a new owner. For this reason and because they are often treasure troves for fashion-conscious people, such shops enjoy great popularity. We visited three second hand shops in Zurich that haven’t been around that long.
1. Elif boutique
With the opening of «Elif», Kreis 4 won a new second-hand shop for clothes. Daoud Adil has been running the business at Erismannstrasse 45 since July 17th of this year. His partner Gioia Sonder, who works in the back office, also supports him in managing the business.
Working together for the store is a new experience: “Sometimes there is friction because we see each other both at home and in the store,” Adil. But to the delight of the two runs, business is better than expected, even if it was a bit quieter during the autumn break. Elif sees itself as a local shop, the couple lives with their daughter nearby.
Adil and Sonder named their shop after their daughter: “I like the lettering of the name and I just think it’s beautiful,” says the 34-year-old. The idea came to them a few years ago: “I’ve been collecting clothes for a long time and I still do it today,” says Adil. So the business started with around 400 items of clothing, which in itself is very little to fill a shop with.
When it comes to the procurement of second-hand clothes, the shop also works on commission. That means: Anyone who brings clothes to Adil’s also has the option of agreeing a selling price: “If the item of clothing was sold at the estimated price, the person who brought it receives half of it”.
Adil describes his range as “Querbeet”. From vintage branded clothes such as Yves Saint Laurent to unknown brands, everything is included. There are also many dresses from the sixties, seventies and eighties in the range.
2. pink
Since the beginning of September there has been a second-hand shop at Stauffacherstraße 119, directly opposite the bakery, which offers an assortment for the whole family. «Rosa» was founded jointly by Sonja Kratzer and Laila Seiler, who have been friends for almost 30 years.
In addition to children’s clothes and toys, they also sell clothes up to size 176 for teenagers and adults. There are also homemade blankets and pillows as well as selected new goods.
They chose the name of their business for two reasons. “The color pink in Montessori pedagogy for the number three, because in natural science a new connection arises with three: mother, father and child,” explains Seiler.
In addition, the shop used to be a football shop: “The walls were painted pink, like the first Juventus jerseys, until the club switched to the familiar white and black stripes.”
Rosa also sees itself as a kind of quarter platform. For example, on Mondays when the shop is closed, you will find yoga classes led by a local resident. Readings or exhibitions by people from the neighborhood are also planned in the future.
But this is still in the making, say the two: “We want to leave it open where pink will grow.” The two also appreciate the exchange between parents and children, the shop is created automatically: “We are happy to advise on questions about family life in the neighborhood, and we also know where to find a skeleton costume if we don’t have one”.
With their shop, Kratzer und Seiler want to counteract the fast-paced consumer world: “We want to give things a new value, protect resources and thus the environment, and appreciate the cost of materials and work.”
3. Second
Carolina Misztela runs the second-hand shop “Seconda” at Edisonstrasse 12 in Oerlikon, where she sells second-hand clothes, bags and shoes. She opened the shop in October last year and initially took new goods from her mother, who also runs a clothing store in Oerlikon.
In the course of time, she also added second-hand clothes to her range. Since February of this year, she has only been selling second-hand clothes and accessories. “The clothes I wear myself are mostly second hand and I wanted to try out something in my shop that I also like,” explains the 25-year-old.
In this way, shopping could be better combined with a sustainable lifestyle. Because when it comes to second-hand clothing, customers could shop with a calmer conscience: “You can live out your own taste in fashion better and swap something from your own wardrobe without wasting a lot of resources,” says Misztela. As a fashion and climate-conscious person, she appreciates this concept.
The assortment of their shop currently consists mainly of women’s clothing and occasionally also men’s clothing. Her goal, however, is to break up these categories so that her customers can shop more independently: “Men have already bought women’s clothes and accessories from me.”
At the moment she runs the shop on her own, which is why it is only open from Thursday to Saturday. For the next year, however, she plans to hire an employee to be open on more days. She sees her shop as an ongoing project: “It’s certainly not all perfect yet, but it’s getting better every week.”