Guide to Second-Hand Shopping in UAE

Tribe, more than a decade I have been writing, and giving talks about responsible consumption. One of my favorite sustainable consumption mantras is ‘When in doubt, buy second-hand!’ Because when you buy someone else’s discarded item, first, you reduce waste going to landfills by reusing that item. And secondly, you extend the lifespan of that product giving justice to natural resources invested in that product. You also decrease the demand for a brand new product and reduce your carbon footprint whenever you shop second hand.

Now, I am not just saying this, but going to show you a few examples of my proud possessions of pre-owned beauties. Since years, I have been living sustainable but after my no fashion shopping year in 2017 along with a zero-waste lifestyle; my consumption habits changed drastically. So much so, that I even buy second hand when traveling. And also, make a point wearing pre-loved dresses when I am speaking at conferences, events and let my audience know about it. We can change minds through actions! We must break the taboo around ‘second-hand buying’ by creating bold examples.

This month, we were supporting Oxfam’s ‘Second Hand September‘. And so here is Sustainability Tribe’s guide to second-hand shopping in the UAE.

1. Retold for Preloved Fashion

I have to start our guide with one of my favorite places to buy pre-loved fashion, Retold. I came to know about lovely Sian Rowland founder of Retold and her work when we were featured together in 2017 in The National. Back then Retold was ‘My Ex Wardrobe’. Since then I have followed an amazing journey of ‘Retold’ born in 2018, a very aptly named pre-owned fashion boutique. They definitely give clothes a second chance of happiness, however, more than they create happy customers by giving them the opportunity of selling and buying sustainable fashion at a bargain price.

Now they are moving their shop in Dubai to a new location in Al Quoz and re-opening it on 1st October. You can also buy online on shopretold.

Shop Retold also regularly collaborates with other businesses like Panpan Cucu, founded by 2 french mums that collect kids pre-owned clothes and organize sales bimonthly.

2. Thrift For Good

If you want to buy second hand for double good, then Thrift For Good is a great option. 100% profit of the sale goes to a local charity, Gulf 4 Good, which raises funds for children around the world and community empowerment. You can buy women’s and men’s clothing, books, and other items in their online store. The great news is Thrift for good is opening a retail space soon.

3. Lahum

Lahum is Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City-based second-hand store for clothes and accessories. Founded by a social entrepreneur,  Ameera Amir; the store accepts donated pieces and sells them to use profits to pay for the tuition fees of underprivileged children in the UAE regardless of race, religion, or nationality. The Lahum store is designed and built by upcycling shipping containers and in 1 year they sold 3,500 clothes, avoided 28,000kg of CO2, and awarded 13 educational scholarships.

4. Pre-loved Luxury Items

If you are into luxury shopping, there are some preloved luxury stores in the UAE. Luxury Closet, Seconds Boutique at Oasis mall, La Suite in Umm Suqeim, and Garderobe on Jumeirah road are some of the popular ones. All these stores buy and sell luxury items like designer bags, fashion, and accessories. You might even find some vintage pieces there.

5. Bookends

Two mums struggling to keep refreshing their book collection at affordable price founded Bookends.ae, a marketplace for buying and selling books. You can buy pre-loved books from many different categories from fiction, non-fiction for adults to textbooks and activity books for children.

Second-Hand Markets

There are many second-hand markets in the UAE. Some areas like Al Quiz or Sharjah are also popular for used furniture or used car markets. But here are some dedicated markets for other household and clothing pieces.

6. Flea Market

I have put up a table to sell my unwanted items at Dubai Flea Market after decluttering my home, read here my experience. It’s a great place to recycle and rehome your unwanted stuff, plus you get to roleplay shop for a day!

7. Baby Bazaar

This is another bazaar, I would like to recommend from my own experience. Because babies grow up fast and a lot of great products, you barely used for them and bought with so much love in the first place make you want to rehome those items. Baby Bazaar is a great place to sell your baby’s used items and even find some bargains.  Also, recommend reading our Green Parenting Guide where you can find tips to avoid over shopping for babies.

8. Online Platform for Second Hand Shopping

Some popular online platforms for second-hand shopping are Dubbizzle and Facebook groups like Buy-sell-swap, etc. which I have used as well especially during house moving.

So Tribe, next time you really need to buy something, go buy second-hand! If you are new to Sustainability Tribe, don’t forget to subscribe here and join our Tribe!

Note: This post will be regularly updated like our Zero-waste Shopping Guide, so please let us know your second-hand shopping finds in the comments below. Let’s help our community to live more sustainably.