E-commerce site finds that UK shoppers hold onto 15.8 billion dollars of unwanted clothing

In promotion of the launch of its British webstore, French e-commerce company Patatam conducted a survey of female shoppers in the UK, concluding that the majority has "fashion skeletons" in their closets.

According to Patatam's research, the wardrobes of British women contain a combined 13 billion pounds (15.8 billion U.S. dollars) worth of unwanted clothing, which factors as approximately 504 pounds (613 dollars) of unwanted clothing in every closet.

Patatam determined several factors that led to the accumulation of unwanted clothing. For one thing, survey participants hold onto an average of 13 items, or monetary total of 36 pounds (44 dollars) of items that no longer fit. Eighteen percent of respondents hold onto these items hoping to one day fit into them again, while 17 percent said they hold onto unwanted clothing for sentimental reasons, whether the item reminds them of a specific person, place or experience.

A secondhand clothing retailer, Patatam has used its survey to gauge its lpace in the UK market. Its survey found that consumer awareness of responsible fashion practices is on the rise, as 92 percent of respondents would rather re-sell unwanted garments, and 64 percent would happily shop secondhand.

Patatam intends to encourage more ethical shopping habits by buying and selling quality pre-owned clothing from high street brands. Since its founding in France in 2013, the company has sourced clothing from charity shops, housing clearance centers and the public to then re-sell on its e-commerce site at prices up to 70 percent less than high street retail.

With its recent UK launch, Patatam aims to expand its ethical fashion re-sale practices.

“It’s amazing to see just how much money British women have sat in their wardrobes, in the form of clothing which they no longer want," said Eric Gagnaire, managing director at Patatam's UK site, said in a company blog post. "But what is incredible just how much appetite there is to ensure that they are getting rid of these in a responsible way – by selling, donating or passing them on to others who can enjoy them – rather than simply throwing them away. This is great news and shows just how much the tide is shifting."