The Swapshop

What The Swapshop does

The Swapshop — legally Stichting Awaerness Kollektif, trading as The Swapshop — is a Netherlands-based non-profit foundation founded in 2018 that operates a circular fashion retail model built around clothing swaps. The organization runs four physical stores across Amsterdam and Rotterdam where consumers exchange pre-owned garments rather than purchasing new items; the value of exchanged clothing is quantified through a proprietary virtual currency ("swaps") that the company uses to balance transactions across participants. Beyond the core swap event, The Swapshop offers paid workshops, repair services, gift cards, and curated resale inventory.

The business model combines several revenue streams: one-time swap fees, resale and upcycled product sales, a recurring "Friends" VIP subscription at approximately €5.50 per month, paid workshops, and garment repair services. The Swapshop has built a partner ecosystem that includes Stichting Doen, Dutch municipalities, Rebel Group, MakersUnite, and external fashion designers, and it has secured public funding through the EU EFRO / Kansen voor West program to support expansion.

The organization has launched dedicated product and capacity initiatives including the Re:Made Collection (anchored by signature pieces such as "The Puffer" in 2023), the (Re)Thread Upcycled Collection (2025), and The Swapshop LAB (2025) — a workspace and product line for upcycling and design experiments. The foundation employs approximately 11 people and has announced a multi-year plan to open five additional stores in the Noord-Holland province by 2029.

Name

The Swapshop

Legal name

Stichting Awaerness Kollektif h.o.d.n. The Swapshop

Website

https://the-swapshop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Swapshop is a Netherlands-based non-profit circular fashion retailer operating four physical stores in Amsterdam and Rotterdam where consumers swap pre-owned clothing using a proprietary virtual currency, supplemented by resale, upcycled collections, workshops, and a paid VIP subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Circular Fashion Retail

NAICS

Used Merchandise Retailers (459510)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Rental-to-Resale / Circular Fashion Platforms (CRAFAGAK)

Keywords

• Clothing swap retail
• Circular fashion
• Secondhand clothing
• Sustainable apparel
• Upcycled clothing

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam, North Holland

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Swap transaction fees: Customers pay a fee per item they hand in for swapping. This service fee covers store operations, staff salaries, and processing costs. The fee is necessary to sustain the swap concept.
2. Product sales: Sale of second-hand clothing and accessories. Items that are still wearable but of lower (fast fashion) quality or have been in-store for a long time go to the sales section.
3. Circular product sales (The Puffer): Sale of The Puffer, a circular laptop sleeve made with 70% recycled cotton, priced at €71. Also includes upcycled clothing from the (Re)Thread collection created by local designers.
4. VIP Friends subscription: Monthly subscription at €5.50 per month (renewed monthly, cancel any time), or €55 annually. Includes 3 months free for new members. Provides exclusive gem drops, pre-access to upcycled collections, Friends-only events, WhatsApp updates, and a yearly present.
5. Worklab workshops: Monthly in-store workshops teaching skills such as natural dyeing, visible mending, upcycling, repair, and bag-making. Participants can pay partially with swaps.
6. Repair pop-ups: Monthly in-store repair service where a skilled repairer mends small damages. Customers can use swaps for a discount on repair costs.
7. Gift cards: Digital gift cards available in €10, €25, and €50 denominations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Swapshop operates a physical retail clothing swap model across four stores in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Customers bring in up to five seasonal clothing items per visit and receive "swaps" (loyalty credits worth €1 each) in a digital account, redeemable for up to 50% of the price of any item in the shop. The offering is extended by The Swapshop Lab (upcycling, repair, workshops), the (Re)Thread and Re:Made circular product collections, the VIP Friends subscription, and digital gift cards.

Product overview

The Swapshop is a circular fashion retailer operating a clothing swap model, supported by two major sub-brands: The Swapshop Lab (circular services hub) and the Re:Made/Re:DYED collections (circular products). The core offering is a swap-based retail service where customers exchange secondhand clothing for 'swap' credits, paying half the price in cash and half in swaps. The Swapshop Lab extends this mission through (Re)Thread (upcycling with local designers), Worklabs (hands-on workshops), and Repair Pop-ups. The Re:Made Collection produces circular products like The Puffer laptop sleeve, while the RE:DYED tote is an upcycled accessory. Supporting products include a Swap Friends VIP subscription (€5.50/month) and giftcards (€10–€100).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Swapshop Lab: A space for experimentation, innovation, and collaboration in circular fashion, divided into three key areas: (Re)thread for upcycling, Repair for mending services, and Worklabs for hands-on workshops.
• Re:Made Collection
• Friends of The Swapshop
• (Re)Thread Collection

Quantifiable outcome

• 876 flights (AMS-LDN) of CO2 equivalent emissions prevented in 2024 through swapping
• +5 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stichting DoencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStichting Doen is a Dutch charitable foundation that supports social and sustainable initiatives. Their logo appears in the 'Our partners' section of the About Us page, indicating a partnership or endorsement of The Swapshop's mission.
• Gemeente Amsterdam (Municipality of Amsterdam)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe municipality of Amsterdam sponsors The Swapshop, supporting its operations and expansion within the city. Their logo appears in the 'Our partners' section.
• Gemeente Rotterdam (Municipality of Rotterdam)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe municipality of Rotterdam supports The Swapshop through the 'Gemeente Rotterdam' branding in the 'Our partners' section.
• SympanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSympany is a Dutch health insurer whose logo appears in the 'Our partners' section, suggesting a sponsorship or partnership relationship.
• Rebel GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRebel Group is a strategy consultancy specialising in circular economy. They conducted an impact assessment on the prevented climate impact of swapping for The Swapshop and co-authored publications on circular fashion with Milieu Centraal. The Swapshop is featured as an example of circular practice in their research.
• COSH!minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOSH! is a Belgian sustainable fashion platform. Their logo appears in the 'Our partners' section.
• Oh My GoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOh My Good is a Dutch sustainable fashion brand. Their logo appears in the 'Our partners' section, suggesting a mutual promotional or collaborative relationship.
• MakersUnitecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMakersUnite is a textile-based creative agency in Amsterdam with a social mission supporting newcomers' creative talent through training programmes. They designed and manufactured The Puffer circular laptop sleeve for The Swapshop's Re:Made collection.
• Enschede TextielstadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnschede Textielstad is a local industrial weaving facility in Enschede (a city once the 2nd biggest textile city in Europe) that weaves fabrics locally for The Swapshop's Re:Made collection using recycled and BCI cotton. They provide full supply chain transparency.
• Blue CityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlue City is a Rotterdam-based circular economy hub. Their logo appears in the 'Our partners' section.
• Milieu CentraalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilieu Centraal is a Dutch knowledge organisation on environmental impact. They developed a factsheet on the sustainability of second-hand clothing featuring research by Rebel for The Swapshop, contributing to The Swapshop's thought leadership positioning.
• MetabolicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetabolic is a sustainability consultancy. The Swapshop contributed to their study on creating a circular and regenerative textile sector for Amsterdam, featured as an example of circular practice.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Patagonia Worn Wear: Patagonia's in-house resale and repair program for its own branded garments. Comparably combines repair services, resale, and a circular-fashion mission, making it the closest functional analogue to The Swapshop's Lab-plus-resale model.
• Beyond Retro: Multi-store vintage clothing retailer in the UK and Europe curating second-hand apparel into brand-style assortments. Comparable multi-store physical retail format in the second-hand clothing vertical.

Emerging players

• Depop: Peer-to-peer social resale app popular with younger consumers for vintage and unique pieces. Comparable circular-fashion ethos and Gen-Z customer overlap, but operates purely online with no retail footprint or repair services.

Broad incumbents

• Vestiaire Collective: Global peer-to-peer luxury and premium resale marketplace with authentication. Comparable because it sells previously owned clothing at scale, but operating in an upscale digital vertical rather than a community-driven physical swap model.
• Vinted: Europe's largest peer-to-peer second-hand fashion marketplace operating across many EU countries including the Netherlands. Comparable consumer-deposit-driven resale motion; differs as a P2P platform without physical retail or repair.
• The RealReal: Online luxury consignment resale platform with authentication and physical authentication centers. Comparable resale vertical with strong ESG positioning; differs by luxury focus and online model.
• ThredUp: US-listed online resale-as-a-service and consumer resale platform. Comparable as a large-scale second-hand apparel operator; differs by being digital-first and operating its own distribution centers rather than a curated physical swap.

Others

• Trove: B2B resale-as-a-service platform powering branded recommerce programs. Relevant ecosystem enabler for circular fashion operations; does not directly compete but serves adjacent supply-side needs.
• COSH!: Benelux sustainable fashion platform listing conscious brands and second-hand shops. Existing partner of The Swapshop; comparable as a circular-fashion discovery layer in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theswapshop
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_swapshop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/awearnesskollektif

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Swapshop