Foreningen UFF-Butikkene i Norge

What Foreningen UFF-Butikkene i Norge does

Foreningen UFF-Butikkene i Norge is a Norwegian non-profit association (founded 1987; organization number 981 054 776) headquartered in Frogner (Lillestrøm) that operates a circular textile economy model linking Norwegian households to international development aid. The organization collects used clothing, shoes and textiles through a network of collection containers placed at recycling stations and public locations across Norway, and resells a portion of the inventory through its own second-hand retail stores operating under the UFF Second Hand and UFF Vintage Heaven brands in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger and Tromsø. In 2024 it collected approximately 20 million garments, of which over 14 million were redirected to reuse (primarily in Europe, with about 25% reaching African reuse markets), and the activities are reported to have avoided 53,070 tonnes of CO2.

Core operational infrastructure centers on textile sorting and downstream distribution. In October 2023, UFF established the Arctex sorting facility in Bodø to handle textiles from Northern Norway (Trøndelag, Nordland, Troms and Finnmark); this is described as one of Norway's first modern textile-sorting centers, where staff manually sort garments item by item, separating those suitable for direct reuse from those destined for material recycling, energy recovery or disposal. Reusable textiles flow to sorting centers and stores in Europe and Africa, while unsalvageable items are processed for recycling.

UFF is a member of the international Humana People to People federation and uses proceeds from textile collection and resale, plus direct donations (via Vipps 541537 and bank transfer), to fund development aid projects across twelve countries in Africa and Asia (Angola, Botswana, Guinea-Bissau, India, China, DR Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe). Programs are delivered through sister organizations (ADPP, DAPP, HPP, HOPE Humana Palapye) and cover teacher training, HIV/AIDS and TB prevention via the TCE program, malaria prevention, gender-based violence prevention, early childhood education (Preschools of the Future/One Village One Preschool in China), vocational training, and agricultural development. The organization holds Miljøfyrtårn (Eco-Lighthouse) certification and is approved by Innsamlingskontrollen for charitable fundraising in Norway.

Name

Foreningen UFF-Butikkene i Norge

Legal name

Foreningen UFF-Butikkene i Norge

Website

https://uffnorge.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Foreningen UFF-Butikkene i Norge is a Norwegian non-profit that collects used textiles from households, resells items through UFF Second Hand/Vintage stores, and funds development aid projects in Africa and Asia through the Humana People to People federation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Textile Collection and Second-Hand Retail

NAICS

Other Waste Collection (562119), Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers (42393)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Materials Recovery (Carpet, Mattresses, Bulky Items) (EUAIADAL)

Keywords

• Textile collection services
• Second-hand retail clothing
• Used clothing sorting
• Nonprofit development aid
• Circular textile economy

Headquarters

HQ city

Frogner

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Second-hand textile sales: UFF collects donated clothing, shoes and textiles from Norwegian households through collection containers. These items are sorted and sold either for direct reuse (primarily in Europe and Africa) or recycled. Revenue from sales funds development aid projects in Africa and Asia.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

UFF Norge collects used clothing, shoes, and textiles from Norwegian households through a national network of collection containers and second-hand stores. Items are sorted at the Arctex facility in Bodø and then sold for direct reuse (primarily in Europe and Africa) or recycled. Proceeds from sales, together with direct donations, fund international development aid projects in Africa and Asia implemented through the Humana People to People network.

Product overview

UFF Norge (U-landshjelp fra Folk til Folk, Norge) is a non-profit organization operating a circular economy model for textiles alongside international development aid. Its core offering is textile collection from Norwegian households (Tøyinnsamling), followed by sorting and resale through its UFF Second Hand / UFF Vintage retail stores, with a sorting facility (Arctex) in Bodø handling Northern Norway's textiles. Revenue from textile collection and sales funds international development projects across Africa and Asia, including teacher training (ADPP Teacher Training College), HIV/AIDS prevention (TCE programs), preschool education (Preschools of the Future), vocational training (Mikolongwe Vocational School), and agricultural development (Farmers Club). All projects are implemented through the Humana People to People federation network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UFF Vintage Heaven: Brand name for UFF's vintage and second-hand clothing stores in Norway

Products and services

• UFF Textile Collection (Tøyinnsamling) Donation collection service for used clothing, shoes, and textiles from Norwegian households via collection containers placed at recycling stations and public locations throughout Norway. In 2024, approximately 20 million garments were collected, with over 14 million going directly to reuse.
• UFF Second Hand / UFF Vintage Retail Stores Second-hand retail stores under the UFF Second Hand and UFF Vintage Heaven brands, selling donated clothing and accessories to consumers in major Norwegian cities.
• UFF Sorteringsanlegg – Arctex (Textile Sorting Facility) Modern textile sorting center in Bodø processing donated textiles from Northern Norway. Trained staff manually sort garments by quality and value, separating items for direct reuse, material recycling, or energy recovery; non-textile and contaminated items are sorted out and disposed of locally.
• UFF International Development Aid Projects Funded development aid projects across Africa and Asia, including teacher training colleges, HIV/AIDS prevention programs (TCE), preschool education (Preschools of the Future), vocational training, agricultural projects (Farmers Club), and gender-based violence prevention, implemented through Humana People to People federation partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 53,070 tonnes CO2 avoided through textile collection in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Humana People to PeoplecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFF is a member of the international aid network Humana People to People (www.humana.org). This federation coordinates development aid efforts across multiple countries, enabling UFF to support projects through sister organizations in Africa and Asia.
• ADPP AngolacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFF's sister organization in Angola implementing development projects in teacher training, literacy, climate and health. Supported 3 teacher training schools in 2020.
• DAPP (Development Aid from People to People) NamibiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplements TCE (Total Control of Epidemic) program for HIV/AIDS prevention. Since 2005, TCE field workers have reached more than 1.5 million Namibian homes.
• DAPP MozambiquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplements VIVA+ project combating AIDS, TB and Malaria with focus on vulnerable girls and young women. Also implements malaria prevention programs.
• HPP China (Humana People to People China)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Chinese government on 'One Village, One Preschool' policy. Implements Preschool of the Future (PoF) programs in poor counties in Yunnan, Sichuan and Hubei provinces.
• UNAIDSminorOthersGlobal health organization providing statistics and strategic frameworks (95-95-95 targets) for HIV/AIDS programs supported by UFF.
• Government Health Departments (various countries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCE and health programs work in close collaboration with health ministry departments in Namibia, Congo, Mozambique and other countries for HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria prevention.
• China Development Research FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for One Village One Preschool (OVOP) program in China, providing access to education for disadvantaged children in rural areas.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Beyond Retro: Commercial vintage and second-hand clothing retailer with stores across the UK and Europe. Directly competes with UFF Vintage Heaven for vintage consumer demand and represents the private-sector model UFF operates against.
• Kirkens Bymisjon: Norwegian Church City Mission operating second-hand shops (Fretex-adjacent network) and social programs. Competes for donated textiles and operates comparable retail footprint in Norway.
• Oxfam: International charity operating large-scale second-hand clothing shops across Europe (Oxfam Shops, Oxfam Superstores) funded by donated textiles. Comparable model combining textile resale revenue with international development aid delivery.
• Røde Kors (Norwegian Red Cross): Operates second-hand clothing shops across Norway funded by donations. Competes with UFF for donated textile supply and second-hand retail customers in major Norwegian cities.
• Fretex: Norway's largest textile reuse charity, operated by the Salvation Army. Runs collection containers and second-hand shops nationwide, with a similar textile-to-aid operating model. Fretex is the most directly comparable Norwegian peer to UFF.
• Erikshjälpen: Swedish second-hand charity operating a chain of donation-based retail stores with proceeds funding international aid. Closely mirrors UFF's operating model in the neighboring Swedish market.
• Humana Spain (Fundación Pueblo para Pueblo): Spanish member of the Humana People to People federation — UFF's sister organization. Operates the same textile-to-aid model with collection containers, second-hand stores (Humana Segunda Mano), and development projects in Africa. Direct structural peer within UFF's own federation.
• Myrorna: Swedish Salvation Army textile recycling and second-hand retail chain. Operates a comparable donation-container collection model and second-hand store network across Sweden, with similar cross-border textile export flows to international reuse markets.

Regional players

• Remera: Swedish textile sorting and recycling operator handling large volumes of post-consumer clothing with automated sorting technology. Adjacent competitor in Nordic textile recovery, though operating in Sweden rather than Norway.

Emerging players

• Vinted: Leading consumer-to-consumer second-hand fashion resale platform across Europe. Captures growing share of second-hand clothing transactions that previously flowed through charity shops like UFF, representing a structural shift in the second-hand market UFF serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UFF-Second-Hand-295819423833913
• Instagraminstagram.com/uff_vintage_heaven
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foreningen-uff-butikkene-i-norge

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Foreningen UFF-Butikkene i Norge