Marks & Spencer extends pre-loved school uniform offer with Ebay

British department store Marks & Spencer has announced an extension of its Shwopping Scheme, bringing its ‘Shwop’ box concept to over 200 of its UK stores.

The feature allows shoppers to donate pre-loved school uniforms which, once having passed a “hand-me-down quality test, will then be sold in an Oxfam store or, for the first time, via Ebay.

This new partnership with Ebay comes as the retailer looks to reach more families with the “affordable” offer, meanwhile every school uniform sale in both Oxfam and Ebay will help raise funds for charity work tackling poverty and inequality.

Additionally, Marks & Spencer noted that any uniform that can’t be resold in either of the marketplace’s will be recycled or reused where possible.

The extension builds on the company’s long-standing Shwopping concept, initially launched in 2008 alongside Oxfam in a bid to tackle waste.

It also follows Marks & Spencer’s announcement that it would be protecting the price of school uniforms as the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact UK consumers.

In a release, Alexandra Dimitriu, kidswear director at Marks & Spencer, said: “We know our customers frequently hand down our school uniform to friends and family and this season, we’re encouraging them to drop school uniform which they no longer need into one of our new Shwopping boxes where it will be resold in Oxfam shops and through our exciting pilot shop with eBay.

“It's one of the many ways we’re trying to make our best-in-class school uniform accessible to all families, however and whenever they choose to shop.”