Retykle’s pop-up stores: curated second-hand high-end kid’s fashion in Hong Kong

Retykle is a wonderfully refreshing online platform founded by Sarah Garner. It aims to make buying and re-selling high quality baby and kid’s clothing convenient and as stylish as buying new.

After working in luxury fashion for more than ten years with high-end establishments such as Lane Crawford, LCMH and Holt Renfrew, Sarah saw an opportunity to tackle the problem of high-quality children’s clothing, sometimes barely or never worn, ending up in closets because of children outgrowing them.   

“The seeds for Retykle were born as I saw a perpetual problem of how to cycle through the piles and piles of outgrown high-quality clothes that still had lots of life to live and the parents who would be happy recipients. I sat down and hatched out an idea that would create a sustainable fashion loop. I had a desire to put my experience to better use – a side of fashion that was part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Almost two years on, we are more than ever passionate about making a positive impact on the environment, community and parents’ lives.”

In the first two years of their lives, children grow through seven sizes. This is expensive and tough on the environment. Retykle’s promotion of a circular economy for kid’s fashion is a great answer to this.

Sellers looking to sell their children’s as-good-as-new clothing can do so hassle free: it is as simple as booking a free pick-up or drop-off and earning a commission upon sale. Buyers looking to dress their children can choose from a curated selection of top brands including Bonpoint, Jacadi and Ralph Lauren – at great discounts.   

Retykle’s pop-up stores

In an interview with Storefront, Sarah explained that although Retykle is an online platform, they regularly organise pop-up events around Hong Kong.

Such events serve as marketing vehicles and make it possible to meet new people, build trust and show that the second-hand experience can be as good as shopping for something new. Sellers are able to drop off clothing at the pop-up store as well.

So far, they have done five pop-up stores in Hong Kong, in different locations. In choosing a location they consider the demographics of their existing customers and what is most convenient for parents.

“A pop-up retail concept offers us heightened visibility, attracting many new Retyklers who value the opportunity of physically being able to see our exceptional quality of childrenswear offered, and allows us to build personal relationships that really convey our brand beliefs. A short term space also ensures that we have creative flexibility to experiment, to see what buyers respond well to, what sizes appeal to our market, what marketing strategies have most impact etc. We can also test different demographics, age groups, location, and enables us to widen our reach.”

Their latest pop-up organised with the help of Storefront was in Central on Hollywood Road. It ran for the whole of October and showcased hundreds of the most coveted designer children’s wear in a two-story shop.

“We’ve presented successful pop-ups in the past, and were looking particularly for a larger space for our short-term space this time around. Of course, the spot has to be highly visible, both to car traffic and walking traffic. Our location is in the heart of Central, and has really served us well with many new Retyklers walking in, both local and travelers. It is our largest, AND longest pop-up to date, and we felt that this space offered us many flexible spatial arrangements, to cater to events that we will host during the period, as well as a large street facing window display area.”

And when we ask Sarah about her expectations regarding this pop-up store, this is what she told us:

“We certainly have high expectations of ourselves from this pop-up store! For an online business, it is important to communicate clearly what you do via first impressions (in this case our storefront displays). We endeavored to make our purpose and service clear through the window design. It has drawn many new customers and sellers and we have sold hundreds of beautiful luxury secondhand kids items daily. So absolutely, brand awareness, sales, foot traffic, brand identity, brand values, every aspect is equally important for us.”

“A physical presence always enables and encourages personal interactions. It’s been a wonderful experience getting to meet both loyal Retykle fans, as well as Retykle newbies. The retail presence means that we can explain what our brand is about first hand, and that helps to build long-term trust with customers. The pop-up also means that buyers have the ability to touch and feel fabrics and assess condition directly prior to purchasing, something that our online portal emulates very well, but ultimately cannot replicate. We’ve also found that many people have questions about Retykle, especially with drop offs and how that works, so it’s been useful for us to be able to answer them first hand.”

Their next pop-up around Christmas will be a holiday pop-up with photoshoot. Causeway Bay is on the list for potential locations, but Retykle’s eyes are also set on Kowloon.

If you are interested in high-end apparel for children or are looking to clear out your closet and make some money from your children’s gently worn clothing, be sure to check out Retykle and their next pop-up event.

Find your pop-up space in the heart of Hong Kong!