Two residents of Klaipeda decided to update the forgotten type of shops: we did not invent anything new, but we present it tastier.

Since April a new store “META Sustainable Fashion House” has been opened in the center of Klaipeda. However, here you will not find clothes that have just arrived from the sewing workshops. Twice a week, young women open the doors of their studios to Klaipeda residents who want to give their clothes a chance to find a new home.

“The Commission was extinguished because there was no wave of sustainability. Now we just hit it and we raised the idea that people can bring clothes that are no longer needed, but are still suitable to wear, Kristina said.” We have not invented anything. new, but we have presented it better and let people know that they are doing meaningful work. “

The store located in the heart of Klaipeda: not only clothes, but also various accessories. “There was a woman who brought silver spoons, but so far we haven’t expanded the product range,” Kristina smiled.

He did not know what to do with the clothes that could be worn.

Asta and Kristina were bound by fate a long time ago. More than ten years ago, their friendship began working in a bank. Later, they got together when they started creating their own. Kristina – clothes, Asta – jewelry.

“It just came to our attention then. But since the world has already separated itself from consumerism, we have begun to take an interest in sustainability. We ourselves no longer knew where to put our clothes. We saw that women have multiple wardrobes for non-portable clothing, ”Kristina recalled when the idea of ​​opening a store came up.

It took about half a year before the idea became a reality. At first, the young women researched the market, visited second-hand clothing stores, and looked at what clothes were on offer there. Looking around, the residents of Klaipėda decided that there is a niche in the port city for brand new but good quality clothing.

“We have decided that we want to carry the message of sustainability. Our products are not clothing brought to Lithuania in tons and bags, but items brought by local Lithuanians themselves. We want to have as little fast fashion as possible, and existing clothing deserves a second. life, ”Asta said.

As soon as I opened it, I had to close the door.

The women, who had found and rented the premises, opened the doors of their store in November last year, but enthusiasm to start a new business was stifled by the second quarantine just a couple of weeks later.

“Of course, we had thought about it, so we had taken a slightly smaller place, in a less good place to buy. We saw that there was not much traffic there, so when the quarantine came, we closed the point and decided not to play more, ”said Asta, who moved to a larger location closer to Klaipeda’s old town.

One of the main criteria of the store was the proximity to the Humana store. This allows some of the target customers to visit them as well.

When asked if there was a shortage of Klaipeda residents who could bring suitable clothing for sale, Kristina admitted that there is no such problem: “Loading takes so long that we are already stopping. The message of such an opportunity goes from word of mouth and really a lot has something to add. “

Young entrepreneurs say that not only women but also men want to clean their closets, but until now the idea of ​​marketing and men’s clothing is being postponed for the future.

“We hope to open more stores, but the preparation takes a lot of time and effort. It’s hard work, so everything complicates our schedule anyway,” says Kristina.

About a third: new clothes

Interlocutors note that many Lithuanians also have clothes in their homes, which they bought, but were not yet able to put them on. Kristina estimates that the clothes that still have labels make up about a third of all the clothes that are brought into the store.

“Women sent a lot of purchases during the quarantine. Some do not want to return the disbelievers because it costs money. And the more clothes appear at home for an emotional purchase,” he thought.

Asta remembers that after opening the first store, initially he accepted almost all the clothes that were brought to them, but when he saw how many people wanted to sell their belongings, he considered the criterion: “At first we did not understand how much clothes women have. in Lithuania. When we saw that the need for a service of this type was extremely high, we began to choose very strongly. “

Currently, women entrepreneurs expect to have around 4 thousand. goods.

Ambitious plans for the future

So far, after opening a store, young women in business are only spinning in two. But he promises not to stop in the future.

“We have development plans, but first we have to put together all the systems that will facilitate our daily lives. So far we are only working on two and it is really difficult. The first steps are not easy. We do not have finances on the sidelines. Everything that is invested it’s the money we earn from the jewelry and clothing Kristina created, ”says Asta.

At the same time, he adds that from the bureaucratic side, there are really things to do when setting up your business: “Even the coordination of signs with the municipality, the implementation of a cash register, accounting, document management: there are really many things. that take a long time. “

When asked what the biggest risks are in their current operations. Asta and Kristina said there was some concern about the fall and whether small business outlets would not be closed again if necessary and with the introduction of quarantine.

“Another risk associated with development is that the situation with the premises is quite complicated. We are looking for better places, we have a business plan where we promise to open a certain number of stores in five years, but quite complicated with the location. Rental price: no problem. The problem is the lack of premises in good places where we would like to work, where there would be a large flow of people and good access, ”said the businesswoman.