VOSGES TLC

What VOSGES TLC does

Vosges TLC is a Société d'Économie Mixte (SEM) — a French semi-public company structure — created in 2015 in Thaon-les-Vosges, France, to combine two missions: textile waste recovery and professional integration of people distanced from the labor market. The company is conventioned with Refashion, the official French eco-organization for the textile, household linen, and footwear (TLC) sector, and operates an integrated circular-economy infrastructure: 330 collection bins (bornes) across the Vosges and Meurthe-et-Moselle departments feed a sorting center in Girmont that processes 25 tonnes of textiles per day into 200+ reuse and recycling categories, with 100% valorization (approximately 60% reuse via retail or international resale, 30% recycled into insulation, wiping cloths, or new fibers, and 10% converted to solid recovered fuel).

The retail and customer-facing surface consists of a network of second-hand clothing boutiques operating under two brands: "Il était une seconde fois" (mainstream second-hand clothing, 6 active locations as of late 2025) and "Le Dressing de Jules & Alice" (a vintage streetwear specialist in Épinal). Revenue is generated through three streams: (i) direct-to-consumer retail of sorted and refurbished textiles at accessible price points, (ii) sales of recyclable materials to specialized downstream processors, and (iii) Refashion eco-contribution funding tied to the company's accredited collection and sorting role. Of the 50 employees, 32 are on professional insertion (IAE) contracts, blending workforce development with operational delivery.

The company is currently investing in two productization initiatives: a Refashion-funded "Réemploi" reconditioning program and the industrial "Tri des fibres dans le 88" project, which is developing automated fiber sorting by composition and color in collaboration with Synergies TLC and Les Tissages de Charlieu. Marketing is conducted through local Instagram accounts, Facebook pages, and participation in community events such as "Les Reines de la Seconde Main" and the "À vos marques… Triez !" corporate collection drives.

Name

VOSGES TLC

Legal name

VOSGES TLC

Website

https://vosgestlc.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vosges TLC is a French semi-public company (SEM) operating an integrated textile circular-economy network in the Vosges and Meurthe-et-Moselle regions: 330 collection bins, a 25-tonnes/day sorting center, and seven second-hand retail boutiques, while employing 32 people on professional insertion contracts under a Refashion eco-organization convention.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Second-hand Clothing Retail and Textile Recovery

NAICS

Industrial Launderers (812332)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Textile & Apparel Sorting/Recovery Facilities (EUAIADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Textile & Apparel Recycling and Sorting (Non-E-waste) (BPALADAL), Industrial Laundry & Textile Waste Services (Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAI)

Keywords

• Second-hand clothing retail
• Textile recycling services
• Textile collection infrastructure
• Circular economy operations
• Professional insertion programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Thaon-les-Vosges (Girmont)

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Second-hand Retail Sales (Friperies): Sale of sorted, reusable textiles and clothing through a network of physical retail boutiques under the brands 'Il était une seconde fois' and 'Le dressing de Jules & Alice'. Products include clothing for all ages, footwear, accessories, and household linens at accessible prices.
2. Refashion Convention / Eco-Contribution Funding: Vosges TLC is conventionné (conventioned) with Refashion, the French eco-organization for the textile, household linen, and footwear sector. Funding supports the collection, sorting, and recovery of used textiles. Revenue is partially derived from eco-contributions paid by producers and collected via Refashion.
3. Textile Recycling & Material Sales: Unsold reusable textiles are directed to recycling — 30% are processed into insulation materials, wiping cloths, or new fibers, and 10% into solid recovered fuel (CSR). These recycled materials are sold to specialized recycling processors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VOSGES TLC collects used textiles through 330 deposit bins, sorts them at its Girmont center into more than 200 categories, and valorizes 100% of the volume (≈60% reuse, ≈30% recycling into insulation/fibers, ≈10% solid recovered fuel). Reusable textiles are resold through a network of second-hand boutiques under the brands "Il était une seconde fois" (mainstream) and "Le Dressing de Jules & Alice" (vintage streetwear), while a professional insertion program employs people distant from the labor market across sorting and retail operations.

Product overview

VOSGES TLC is a Société d'Économie Mixte (mixed-economy company) founded in 2015 and certified by Refashion, operating a comprehensive textile recovery ecosystem. The core offering centers on a network of 7 second-hand boutiques operating under the brands "Il était une seconde fois" (6 locations) and "Le Dressing de Jules et Alice" (vintage streetwear specialty), supported by a sorting center in Girmont that processes textiles into over 200 reuse and recycling categories. The company operates 330 collection containers across the region and runs a social integration mission providing employment for people distant from the labor market. The product portfolio also includes three Refashion-funded innovation projects: the Réemploi reconditioning program, the Reboost experimental collection initiative, and the Tri des fibres automated fiber sorting project. Community engagement programs like "À vos marques… Triez !" corporate textile drives and participation in the Bourse aux Matériaux events round out the service offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Il était une seconde fois (second-hand retail boutiques) Network of mainstream second-hand boutiques selling sorted, refurbished clothing, shoes, accessories, and household linens at accessible prices. Operated in cities across the Vosges and Meurthe-et-Moselle departments including Épinal, Girmont, Remiremont, Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, Nancy and Frouard.
• Le Dressing de Jules et Alice (vintage boutique) Vintage second-hand boutique in Épinal specializing in streetwear from the 80s, 90s and 2000s. Targets consumers looking for curated vintage fashion rather than everyday second-hand clothing.
• Centre de tri de Girmont (textile sorting center) Sorting facility at 20 rue du Général de Gaulle, Girmont (Thaon-les-Vosges) that processes 25 tonnes of textiles per day into more than 200 categories for reuse, recycling and energy recovery. Operated as the industrial core of VOSGES TLC.
• Bornes de collecte textiles (textile drop-off network) Network of 330 textile drop-off bins deployed across the Vosges department and neighboring areas, allowing citizens to deposit used clothing, household linens and paired footwear. Logistics handled by RevalPrest.
• Mission Insertion (professional integration program) Workplace integration program employing 32 people distant from the labor market on insertion contracts, with personalized support, on-the-job training and reintegration pathways across sorting and retail activities.
• Réemploi (Refashion reconditioning project) Reuse initiative funded by Refashion covering drying, cleaning and repair to extend textile lifespan before resale. Operates as part of Vosges TLC's textile mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25 tonnes of textiles sorted per day
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RefashioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRefashion is the French eco-organism for the textile, household linen, and footwear sector. Vosges TLC is conventionné (officially authorized and funded) by Refashion since its creation in 2015. Refashion supports textile collection, sorting, and recycling operations, and helps finance innovative projects. This partnership is fundamental to the company's business model.
• EvodiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvodia ('Établissement Vosgien d'Optimisation des Déchets par l'Innovation et l'Action') is the local public waste management body in the Vosges. Evodia initiated the creation of Vosges TLC and the two organizations co-develop projects such as 'À vos marques… Triez!' corporate collection drives, the Reboost program, and visitor/tour programs at the Girmont center. Evodia also maintains the collection point locator on its website.
• Synergies TLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSynergies TLC is a network of French and Belgian textile collection, sorting, and recovery actors. It supports the textile sector with innovative and sustainable recycling solutions. Synergies TLC is also behind the 'Nouvelles Fibres Textiles' project (new textile fibers) in collaboration with Les Tissages de Charlieu, which aims to develop automated fiber sorting technology — relevant to Vosges TLC's 'Tri des fibres dans le 88' initiative.
• RevalPrestminorOthersRevalPrest is the logistics partner responsible for collecting textiles from the 330 deposit bins across the territory and transporting them to the Girmont sorting center.
• SovodebminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSovodeb is a public actor in the Vosges committed to waste reduction. Co-organizer with Evodia of the first 'Bourse aux Matériaux' event, where Vosges TLC participated to sell surplus textile materials at discounted prices.
• CCAS (Centre Communal d'Action Sociale) de Saint-Dié-des-VosgesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-partner with the Communauté d'Agglomération de Saint-Dié-des-Vosges and the Conseil Départemental des Vosges in the 'Se déplacer pour réussir' social insertion program, in which Vosges TLC's friperie hosted a group of women in integration pathways for a professional image and confidence-building workshop.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Emmaüs France: National federation of Emmaüs local branches that operate textile collection, sorting, and resale networks across France. Comparable to Vosges TLC in combining second-hand retail with social/insertion missions, though typically structured as a charitable federation rather than an SEM.
• Le Relais: France's largest textile sorting and reuse operator, with collection, sorting, and resale of second-hand clothing. Directly comparable to Vosges TLC in operating an integrated collection-to-retail model and serving the French TLC sector under Refashion conventions.
• Synergies TLC: French-Belgian network of textile collection, sorting, and recovery operators, and an existing partner of Vosges TLC on the Tri des fibres dans le 88 project. Highly comparable in scale and operating model, and a key consortium peer for cross-border textile circularity initiatives.
• Croix-Rouge Française (Textile Activity): French Red Cross operates textile collection bins and second-hand retail (Vêti'Cycle) nationwide, combining social mission with textile recovery. Comparable to Vosges TLC in operating Refashion-aligned collection and resale with an insertion/social-employment overlay.

Others

• Refashion: French eco-organization governing the textile, household linen, and footwear EPR scheme. Not a competitor but the central regulatory and funding counterparty for Vosges TLC's sorting operations, eco-contribution revenues, and innovation project financing.

Broad incumbents

• Vinted: Europe's leading C2C second-hand fashion marketplace. Indirectly competes with Vosges TLC for end-consumer wallet share on second-hand apparel and increasingly diverts donation/sale flows that might otherwise go to charity and SEM-operated friperies.

Emerging players

• Patatam: French online second-hand children's clothing reseller, specializing in circular fashion via e-commerce rather than physical boutiques. Comparable in serving value-conscious consumers seeking second-hand apparel, but operates an asset-light digital model rather than an integrated sorting network.

Regional players

• Friperies de l'Espérance: Regional network of second-hand clothing stores (including Friperies solidaires) operated by insertion-focused associations in Île-de-France and other regions. Comparable in combining friperie retail with professional insertion, but primarily active in different regional territories than Vosges TLC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/iletaitunesecondefois.epinal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vosges-tlc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 VOSGES TLC