Second-hand clothes without any of the inconvenience!

Written by PhD Researcher Fairuzah Munaaya Atchulo

A black speaker sits at the entrance to the ADPP store, blaring a female voice announcing the prices and the date new bales of second-hand clothes will be opened. 

ADPP combines the ambiance of a retail store with the affordability of second-hand shopping. The days straining your waist bending down to comb through heaps of clothes to find a diamond in the ruff, or going home to find that that pretty dress just doesn’t fit right because you could not try it on in the bustling market or street are over. At ADPP, customers get the premium shopping experience of second-hand clothes without the hustle and inconvenience. You get to walk in the brightly lit store with rows of dresses, trousers, children clothes, blouses, shoes etc. There are convenient woven baskets available to carry your purchases, and changing rooms for you to try on your luck find. And in your perusal, you can get a free lesson on the journey of the clothes in your basket and in the store. On a far right wall is a large pictogram showing the journey of these clothes from donation booths abroad, shipment, and finally their arrival in the ADPP store. Also posted are pictures of the various welfare programs that are supported by the ADPP stores which include educational programs for young women and children. 

ADPP has a very unique style of marketing that blends the ingenuity of second-hand shopping and retail business. New bales of clothes are opened on a select day, and the date is continuously proclaimed via the loud speakers blaring outside the store as well as written on the wall of the shop. On that august opening day, prices of clothes can go for up to 500MZN per item. With each subsequent day, the price drops as the bale gets older. And as the prices drop, so do the quality of clothes still left on the hangers. Thus, to ensure you have the best quality of clothes, customers must pay great notice of the dates when new bales are opened. 

The clothes on the hanger serve an important warning: Whether in a store or not, when it comes to second-hand clothes, it is always a game of first come, first serve!