Kringwinkel De Cirkel
Kringwinkel De Cirkel is a Belgian non-profit social enterprise operating a circular economy platform of 140 second-hand retail stores, a webshop, and an auction platform across Flanders, supporting 6,482 social employment positions and processing 93,700 tons of reusable goods annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersGent, Belgium
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Kringwinkel De Cirkel does
Kringwinkel De Cirkel operates as part of Kringwinkel Groep vzw, a Belgian non-profit (vzw) social enterprise that runs a regional second-hand goods and circular economy platform across Flanders. The organization operates 140 physical retail stores, a dedicated online webshop, a live auction platform, and 155 donation give-points, supplemented by clothing containers, free pickup services, and a Recupel partnership for electronic waste collection. Its product catalogue spans books, clothing, electronics, furniture, kitchenware, art, and hobby items, with auxiliary services such as household clearing, electronics repair, and clothing repair that extend the lifecycle of donated goods.
The business model is multi-channel and B2C-dominant: revenue is generated through one-time retail transactions in physical stores, the webshop, and auctions, plus gift card sales and a B2B line (Reloved) for commercial household clearing and relocation services. Goods are sourced free of charge via donations at give-points, clothing containers, free pickups, and household clearings, which are then sorted, refurbished or repaired, and resold at variable unit prices. The model is intrinsically circular: the same physical infrastructure that collects goods also resells them, with 93,700 tons of goods processed annually and 6,482 social employment positions created across the network.
The core customer segments are Flemish individual consumers seeking affordable second-hand goods (primary), donors with reusable items to dispose of (secondary), and B2B customers requiring professional clearing and repair services (tertiary). There is no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or parent company ownership; the organization is an independent vzw with social employment as a stated mission. Recent strategic actions are concentrated on channel expansion — a new webshop launched in June 2026 and three renovated stores opened in July 2026 — alongside service-line extensions in repair and B2B clearing. No AI/ML capabilities, proprietary technology platforms, patents, or external funding are disclosed in the source material.
Kringwinkel De Cirkel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kringwinkel De Cirkel
- Legal name
- Kringwinkel Groep vzw
- Website
- https://de-cirkel.net
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kringwinkel De Cirkel is a Belgian non-profit social enterprise operating a circular economy platform of 140 second-hand retail stores, a webshop, and an auction platform across Flanders, supporting 6,482 social employment positions and processing 93,700 tons of reusable goods annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kringwinkel De Cirkel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Second-hand retail
- NAICS
- Used Merchandise Retailers (459510), Used Merchandise Retailers (4595), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Peer-to-Peer (C2C) Resale Marketplaces (CRAFAGAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Books, Media, Games & Hobbies C2C (CRAFAKAH)
Keywords
Where Kringwinkel De Cirkel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gent
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kringwinkel De Cirkel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Sales - Physical Stores: Revenue generated from the sale of second-hand goods including books, clothing, electronics, furniture, and household items across 140 physical Kringwinkel retail locations throughout Flanders.
- Webshop Sales: Online sales of second-hand goods through the Kringwinkel webshop platform, enabling customers to purchase items remotely.
- Auction (Veiling): Live auction platform where second-hand items including books, electronics, clothing, kitchenware, art, furniture, and hobby items are sold to the highest bidder.
- Gift Vouchers (Cadeaubon): Sale of gift vouchers which can be redeemed across all Kringwinkel stores and webshop.
- B2B Services (Reloved): Business-to-business services including furniture and household clearing services for companies and individuals, and electronics repair services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Variable pricing based on individual second-hand items |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels5 records
Kringwinkel De Cirkel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kringwinkel De Cirkel is a member store of Kringwinkel Groep vzw, a Belgian non-profit that collects, sorts, repairs, and resells donated reusable goods through 140 physical stores, an online webshop, and a live auction platform across Flanders. Core inventory includes second-hand books, clothing, consumer electronics, furniture, and household items. Complementary paid services include professional household clearing, electronics repair, clothing repair, and guided facility tours, with B2B services offered through the Reloved brand.
Product overview
Kringwinkel operates as a second-hand goods retail and circular economy organization with a multi-channel platform. The core offerings consist of physical retail stores (140 Kringwinkels), an online Webshop for second-hand products, and a live Auction platform for bidding on items. Products span electronics (washing machines, dryers), books (fiction, cookbooks, children's books, travel guides), and clothing (men's, women's, unisex). Supporting services include donation points (Geefpunten), clothing containers, free pickup services (Ophalingen), household clearing (Inboedel opruimen), electronics repair, and clothing repair. The organization also offers gift cards (Cadeaubon) and B2B services through Reloved. With 155 give points and 93,700 tons/year of collected goods, the network provides sustainable shopping alternatives while supporting 6,482 jobs in social employment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Webshop Online retail platform enabling customers in Flanders to purchase second-hand goods including electronics, books, and clothing over the internet.
- Veiling (Auction) Live auction platform where customers can bid on second-hand items across categories including books, electronics, clothing, kitchen items, art, furniture, and hobbies.
- Cadeaubon (Gift Card) Sustainable, locally focused gift voucher that can be purchased and redeemed across Kringwinkel physical stores and the webshop.
- Inboedel opruimen (Household Clearing) Professional service to clear and declutter entire households (including estates and relocations), with reusable items collected for donation and resale.
- Herstellen van elektro (Electronics Repair) Repair service for second-hand electrical appliances (such as washing machines and dryers) to extend product lifecycle before resale.
- Herstellen van kleding (Clothing Repair) Repair service for clothing items to extend their usability and reduce textile waste.
- Rondleidingen (Tours) Guided tours of Kringwinkel facilities to educate visitors about second-hand goods operations and sustainability practices.
- Reloved (B2B Service) Business-to-business service under Kringwinkel Groep for commercial partnerships in second-hand goods, including professional household clearing, furniture removal, and estate management for companies and individuals.
Quantifiable outcome
- 93,700 tons of goods collected and redirected from waste stream annually
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Kringwinkel De Cirkel
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kringwinkel De Cirkel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Kringwinkel De Cirkel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kringwinkel De Cirkel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Spullenhulp: Flemish nonprofit operating secondhand retail stores for people in poverty. Closely comparable to Kringwinkel in geographic footprint, donation-based inventory, and social employment model.
- Les Petits Riens: Belgian nonprofit secondhand retail chain operating in Brussels and other Belgian regions. Comparable to Kringwinkel through physical store-based resale of donated goods and social inclusion employment mission.
- Momox: German-based online reseller of used books, media, and clothing via buyback. Comparable to Kringwinkel's book and media resale channels as a large-scale second-hand books/media operator.
- Humana Secondhand: Belgian/Flemish secondhand retailer with a network of thrift stores across the region. Directly comparable to Kringwinkel in store-based resale of donated clothing, household items, and accessories, with similar social mission positioning.
- Oxfam-Magasins du Monde (Belgium): Belgian fair-trade and secondhand retail network run by Oxfam. Comparable to Kringwinkel in nonprofit retail with multiple physical stores, donation flows, and sustainability mission.
Emerging players
- Vinted: Major European online P2P resale marketplace headquartered in Lithuania, very active in Belgium. Competes with Kringwinkel for secondhand consumer mindshare and potentially diverts donation supply to direct-to-consumer online resale.
- Sellpy (H&M Group): Sweden-based online secondhand marketplace owned by H&M Group. Comparable to Kringwinkel's clothing resale channel and a relevant competitor for secondhand consumer demand in Europe.
Broad incumbents
- thredUP: Large US-based online resale platform for secondhand clothing. Comparable to Kringwinkel's clothing resale motion at scale, though operating purely online rather than via physical stores.
- Goodwill Industries International: Largest nonprofit network of thrift stores globally with a mission of social employment. Closely comparable to Kringwinkel in combining second-hand retail with workforce inclusion for disadvantaged populations.
- The RealReal: US-based online consignment marketplace for authenticated luxury secondhand goods. Comparable to Kringwinkel's auction and higher-end resale effort via the Veiling platform.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kringwinkel De Cirkel social profiles
Digital presenceKringwinkel De Cirkel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kringwinkel De Cirkel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Kringwinkel De Cirkel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kringwinkel De Cirkel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kringwinkel De Cirkel
What does Kringwinkel De Cirkel do?
Kringwinkel De Cirkel is a member store of Kringwinkel Groep vzw, a Belgian non-profit that collects, sorts, repairs, and resells donated reusable goods through 140 physical stores, an online webshop, and a live auction platform across Flanders. Core inventory includes second-hand books, clothing, consumer electronics, furniture, and household items. Complementary paid services include professional household clearing, electronics repair, clothing repair, and guided facility tours, with B2B services offered through the Reloved brand.
Is Kringwinkel De Cirkel a public or private company?
Kringwinkel De Cirkel is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Kringwinkel De Cirkel founded?
Kringwinkel De Cirkel was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kringwinkel De Cirkel based?
Kringwinkel De Cirkel is headquartered in Gent, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Kringwinkel De Cirkel make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Retail Sales - Physical Stores are the primary driver. The others are webshop Sales, auction (Veiling), gift Vouchers (Cadeaubon) and B2B Services (Reloved).
Who are Kringwinkel De Cirkel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Spullenhulp, Les Petits Riens, Momox, Humana Secondhand and Oxfam-Magasins du Monde (Belgium). Emerging players are Vinted and Sellpy (H&M Group). Broad incumbents are thredUP, Goodwill Industries International and The RealReal.
Does Kringwinkel De Cirkel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kringwinkel De Cirkel.
What industry is Kringwinkel De Cirkel in?
Kringwinkel De Cirkel's product category is Second-hand retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAGAM, Peer-to-Peer (C2C) Resale Marketplaces, with a secondary code of CRAFAKAH, Books, Media, Games & Hobbies C2C. Its NAICS code is 459510.