In an age where everyone is online &Again is introducing a new and innovative way to thrift.
Founder of &Again Wendy Quach is passionate about conscious consumerism and created this new platform to make thrifting more modern, convenient and eco-friendly.
Quach says the aim of &Again is to bring the charm of thrift store shopping into the digital era.
“For me personally, I don’t have the time or the energy to go into thrift stores anymore. So, I think being able to digitalise it, bring it online and make it modern and super convenient is really moving with the times,” she says.
“Bringing thrifting and the second-hand clothing industry into more of a digital era is really important because it’s an industry that’s a little bit outdated. When you think of buying second-hand, you automatically think of charity stores or really old, dodgy places. And from a cultural perspective as well, not everyone understands what it’s like to be shopping second-hand. I think now it’s more important than ever to be thinking about more of the kind of environmental impact of our purchases.’’
&Again follows a business model with two sides, a buy side and a sell side. The buy side follows a Tidy Kits service where the team at &Again clear-out wardrobes. The sell side is a digital online marketplace which allows for the sale of preloved items of clothing, encouraging a circular economy.
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Quach, who has no background in fashion, has used her experience from studying marketing and commercial law and her work experience in a start-up tech company, to create this new and innovative platform.
The idea for &Again started when she moved back home from London during the pandemic, starting her business in her parent’s house, to then moving into her second warehouse.
‘’I’ve always wanted to be a business owner and I believe one of my biggest goals in life is to make impact. I think there is no better way than to start a small business and try and make one,” she says.
Since its launch, &Again has been able to gain a social media following with over 10k followers on entertainment platform TikTok, hoping to further its digital reach.
“We work with influencers across the country to help them sell their wardrobes, and they get a cut of the sales. It’s a great partnership,” says Quach.
Now in its second warehouse and with over 10k followers, Quach says the next steps for &Again is hoping to expand the baby clothing market to address the issue of fast fashion in that industry.
“We encourage everyone to be part of the change and make a difference through conscious consumption.”