Have you ever spent hours rotating through eBay, Vinted, and Depop trying to find a second hand version of a trending piece of clothing? It can take forever trying to find something similar (or the same item) for a lower price second hand. Sometimes, you strike gold, but other times, you leave these online marketplaces without a bargain, after hours of searching.
What is Swoop? Swoop Review
Swoop is a new tool that helps shoppers discover low-cost, second-hand alternatives to the latest fashion trends. With recent research suggesting that shoppers are growing increasingly concerned about the cost of living and yet still feel substantial pressure to stay on top of the latest fashion trends, Swoop is designed to facilitate more affordable and sustainable choices.
Sustainability is a significant concern within the fashion industry. The industry currently accounts for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions – that’s more than shipping and aviation combined!
Offshore manufacturing has allowed organisations to rapidly provide consumers with the latest trends at inexpensive prices, resulting in 80 billion pieces of clothing being consumed each year with an estimated 9 million pieces being hardly worn. Shockingly, extending the life of clothing by just 9 months can save £5 billion from the cost of resources used throughout the product lifecycle.
Despite the environmental benefits of buying second-hand and extending the life of clothing, cost-conscious shoppers are still buying fast fashion because they find the process of searching for second-hand fashion too time-consuming. Swoop’s mission is to make it easier for shoppers to make low-cost fashion choices that don’t have a severe impact on the environment.
How it works
Swoop works by matching online shoppers on ASOS, Pretty Little Thing, Missguided, Bershka and H&M to the same product, or a similar alternative, being sold pre-loved on eBay. By using the browser extension, shoppers can enjoy an average saving of 62% (*see research) on their fast fashion purchases, whilst also reducing their ecological footprint by buying second-hand.
“This all began whilst I was studying at London College of Fashion and became increasingly worried about the cost and environmental impact of my fast fashion habits. It was then that I decided to start shopping more consciously but quickly ran into some serious frustrations! I hated searching for hours on multiple resale platforms to find the product I was looking for. This led me to think about how to make second-hand fashion more accessible, and consequently Swoop was born!”
Olivia Todd, Founder of Swoop.
The research
The potential for Swoop is enormous. On a random sample of 50 product matches during pre-release testing, it was discovered that, on average, Swoop saves shoppers 62% on their fast fashion purchases. It was even noted that the extension could save one shopper 92%, which equated to a saving of £73 on a pair of tailored linen trousers advertised on H&M, being sold on eBay for just £6.50!
What happens next?
For anyone interested in trying Swoop out, the Beta version of the extension is available to download (for free!) from shopwithswoop.com. The extension is currently in its testing phase and the team is encouraging users to leave their feedback, to help guide development decisions in the autumn.