Primark is debuting its first pop-up swap shop initiative in collaboration with circular clothing company Verte. Launching at Primark's Westfield Stratford store during London Fashion Week, the swap shop invites customers to exchange up to five items of pre-loved adult clothing, accessories, or bags.

In return, they receive digital tokens via Verte’s app, which can be redeemed for pre-loved items from Verte’s collection. Any items left unswapped will be donated to charity, kept for future swaps, or placed in Primark’s donation boxes.

Following its London debut, the initiative will move to Primark’s Manchester Market Street store and Birmingham High Street store over the coming weeks.

While the event is designed to engage customers in the circular economy, experts are divided on whether this represents a true shift toward sustainability for Primark or a short-term marketing strategy.

Is this a good move for Primark?

The swap shop taps into the growing interest in sustainability, a key focus in the fashion industry today. Neil Saunders, a retail analyst at GlobalData, sees the swap shop as a smart way for Primark to boost foot traffic and generate excitement around its stores.

Saunders believes it also signals Primark’s interest in sustainability, even if this particular initiative is only “limited and temporary.”

Sara Robins, a textile specialist at the global environmental NGO, WRAP, welcomes Primark's partnership with Verte, emphasising that initiatives like these are key to extending the life of clothing.

“Any initiative that encourages choosing preloved over new is worth exploring,” she explains. WRAP’s research highlights that the average UK household has £1,200 worth of unused clothing, much of which could be passed on through circular activities like swap shops.

“Primark is encouraging customers to pass on their unworn clothing keeping them in use for longer, and out of the bin - the last place any clothing or textiles should end up,” says Robins.

Saunders suggests the real winner of the partnership might be Verte, as the event gives the lesser-known circular fashion company significant exposure.

Louise Deglise-Favre, an apparel analyst at GlobalData agrees and also believes the swap shop is a good way to bring awareness to a new business model.

“We’ve seen resells and rentals but the whole swapping thing is not something we've seen so much in the circular economy.”

She does, however, question whether the swap shop is an indication that Primark, is making some long-term shift towards sustainability.

“Probably not,” she says.

The illusion of sustainability

Primark’s swap shop reflects a broader trend in retail: brands are using sustainability initiatives as a marketing tool to attract customers.

Deglise-Favre notes that while the swap shop is a good initiative for the environment, it’s also a way for Primark to present itself in a more positive light.

She sees the initiative as more of a “marketing opportunity” for Primark and especially Verte who would gain more awareness.

The short-term nature of the swap shops suggests to her that it’s somewhat of a performative act than a deep, lasting change toward sustainability.

GlobalData looked into the ethical dilemma around shopping at Primark back in February and found that the retailer's business model relies heavily on the rapid turnover of inexpensive clothes, encouraging a culture of disposability.

While Primark has made efforts to address concerns around sustainability and labour issues, GlobalData said its efforts fall short of addressing the inherent unsustainability of the fast fashion model.

However, Primark now says it has been making pre-loved clothing more accessible to its customers in-store since 2022, citing its partnership with the Vintage Wholesale Company to offer vintage clothes via Wornwell, which is currently in 10 stores across the UK.

Primark declares that its swap shop initiative forms part of its ongoing commitment to make pre-loved fashion more accessible and encourage customers to love their clothing for longer.

“The intent is still really good, it's still a good initiative for the environment. But it's not, it's not like we can say Primark’s green,” argues Deglise-Favre.

That said, marketing sustainability effectively can still drive awareness, boost foot traffic, and potentially inspire other brands to follow suit.

Will high-street retailers follow suit?

Saunders, who sees the Swap Shop as Primark’s way of getting on board with the trend says: “Resale is a hot market right now and there is a lot of interest in the circular economy from consumers.”

He notes that consumers are increasingly interested in resale, which could encourage more retailers to explore similar models.

Deglise-Favre also sees potential in swap shops as a way to draw customers into stores, particularly if successful partnerships with circular fashion companies become more common. She adds, “It's something to draw people in which, potentially could be attractive to other brands.”

However, there are challenges to scaling such initiatives. Saunders explains that resale is operationally very difficult to manage and on top of that it has to be commercially viable to be successful.

“These two things are obstacles for many retailers which is why they tend to dabble or partner with other firms,” he adds.

Robins agrees that collaborations can help businesses trial new strategies while minimising risk. “Working with experienced partners is a helpful way to test new business models and find what works best. This approach is vital for scaling circular economy initiatives successfully,” she notes.

But Robins stresses that businesses need to take a holistic approach to sustainability by scaling up circular business models within their organisations. She points to other recent high street collaborations, such as M&S with SOJO for repairs and John Lewis with thelittleloop for preloved children’s clothes, as positive signs.

She adds: “We want to see more high street retailers follow suit, as consumer interest increases and businesses realise the economic and environmental benefits of the circular economy.

“By extending the life of just 50% of UK clothing by nine months, we could reduce carbon emissions by 8% and water usage by 10% across the fashion industry’s entire footprint,” Robins concludes.

Primark’s collaboration with Verte marks another step in the fashion industry’s ongoing experimentation with circular fashion models but our experts caution that while such initiatives generate buzz, they don’t necessarily signal a lasting transformation.