The pandemic has impacted virtually all aspects of our lives. Some developments have been sudden and involuntary, and others like the digitalisation of shopping, banking and more have been increasing. People are worried about their finances more now than they were before the start of the Corona virus pandemic. They are turning to online platforms for better deals on their purchases.

One of the biggest trends of the decade, although missed by many, is the exponential growth in the pre-owned branded fashion market which is growing 20 times faster than the conventional retail apparel market and is expected to touch US$ 80 billion by 2029. Buying second hand clothes has rapidly migrated from flea markets and thrift shops to online platforms and the young population is simply loving it.

The ongoing pandemic and the rising number of infection cases everyday have prompted people to stay indoors. The whole economic slowdown has played a spoiled sport in festive spends this year.

Bollywood is one of the most celebrated entertainment industries globally and A-listers in the industry command a huge fan following. They are even looked up to as fashionistas and fashion trendsetters by millennials, and people the world-over desire to get their hands on celebrity closets. For the longest time, celebrity-owned clothing used to be auctioned off at high prices and hence owned by a chosen few.

Kiabza, India's largest re-commerce platform for branded pre-owned fashion, changed the game for the fashion-conscious by making all kinds of Branded fashion accessible at value prices. Now, it steps up its game a notch higher with the launch of its new line of designer clothing, of which 'Meadow' is the first brand.

Is the two-year old top, you bought at an impulse at a Zara sale, and worn once, be only good for sitting in your closet? Or those mint-condition H&M pants that now are two sizes, too small be anything but a reminder of days gone by? Not at all, says Nohar Nath, founder and CEO of re-commerce site Kiabza. “You can now monetise your wardrobe by reselling good condition clothes to businesses instead of just donating,” he says.

Overzealous Decluttering by People forced to stay indoors due to the Lockdown is fuelling the Re-commerce Industry.

Circularity and reusing fashion have sought great popularity on the global front in the last five years. But this concept has existed in India for ages now. It has been an age-old tradition for Indians to wear pre-used clothes and hand-me-down clothes from their elder siblings or relatives. A garment bought in a family was usually first used by the intended person, only to be then passed down to whoever it would fit. Once the garment became unfit for wearing it was used as a washcloth or dusting purposes.

Second-hand branded clothing retailer Kiabza has seen increased demand through its e-commerce store, as young Indians from varied locations embrace second hand fashion.Kiabza has witnessed an increase in demand for its second hand clothing, the brand’s founder and CEO, Nohar Nath, told the National Herald India. The brand has also seen an increase in demand for second hand branded fashion from tier 2 and 3 cities, it announced on Facebook, which has enabled the brand to expand its online offerings.

Gone are the days when people held onto their prized possessions in their closets, stocked up their closets with expensive, rarely-used outfits. The days where you could boast of having a wardrobe full of unused or stacked up clothes is passe` now. The buying population which was once dominated by Boomers have now been replaced by younger age groups. These customers have a modern mindset, they are conscious of what they buy and whom they buy from.

The fashion industry produces huge amounts of waste that is nearly 100 million tons a year. It’s become necessary for the industry to find better ways to reuse existing materials. With the booming fashion ‘recommence’ Kiabza has established its foothold in the online industry. Kiabza - Aptly stands for Keeping India’s Apparels Beautiful, Zestful & Ageless.

As a child, Shonali was always given her elder sister’s clothes to wear. These hand-me-downs used to upset her initially, but slowly, as she grew to love her sibling, Shonali got to enjoy the whole experience. She didn’t care what people said, these clothes only got her closer to her sister.

Fast fashion is the latest business model in the clothing industry. Brands like Zara have been able to use this model to turn their business into a profitable one. The model essentially involves producing more and more clothes in a short amount of time to keep up with the latest fashion trends. Zara is now known for its highly effective supply chain, making Amancio Ortega, co-founder of Zara, one of the richest people in the world.

As traditional retail reels from the effects of slow consumer demand and increasing dependency on e-commerce, the resale or recommerce industry is basking in the glory of unparalleled growth, taking the world of retail by storm.

It is no surprise that Covid-19 has changed the way that the world once lived. Be it remote working, surviving on bare necessities, stocking up on essential goods, or completely relying on technology to communicate with the world outside; this pandemic has turned the world on its head within a span of months.

Actress Evelyn Sharma is taking her the next step towards responsible fashion. To buy only second-hand clothing is her New Year’s resolution for 2020, and it’s an easy one she says! Interestingly, this trend is not limited to celebrities but also common people are having a keen interest in not just exchanging goods with friends and family but also with strangers in exchange of money.

The practice of selling, giving out or exchanging old and unused items is a runof-the-mill activity.This customary practice is given a digital nudge by Nohar Nath and Abhishek Nath and presented as Kiabza- a unique online platform facilitating recycling and merchandising of branded, authentic & hand-picked pre-owned clothes.

In Hamlet, William Shakespeare wrote “the apparel oft proclaims the man”. Fashion is not only a state of mind but also an extension of one’s self. It is also a big business. The coronavirus pandemic has thrown the global economy into a tailspin and every aspect of supply chains has been severely impacted. “The number of people involved in the buying, selling and production of clothes is much higher than any other business in the world.

India has been traditionally involved in textile recycling with the garments being recycled for both domestic and international market. Old textiles are recycled in almost every household, especially with fabrics being converted to wipes, dusting cloths, kitchen towels and so on. Garments that are in good condition are usually handed down to younger children in the family or to the underprivileged. Again, textiles are collected by charities and NGO’s for distribution among the needy and in case of calamities, etc.

India’s online fashion market is set to grow four-fold to $30 billion (about Rs.2 lakh crore) by 2020. And, two of every three products sold would be branded apparels, says a study by The Boston Consulting group (bcg) and Facebook.Pre-owned fashion is expected to have a decent share of this pie. In the US , pre-owned wear startups have raised in excess of $230 million, and the figure is expected to rise.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, labour cost advantages had triggered a ‘dramatic shift’ in used textiles sorting and grading from Europe and North America to Asia. However, wages had increased ‘drastically’ in many parts of Asia over recent years, ‘thereby putting a question mark over the future viability of this business’, stated the BIR textiles division’s guest speaker in Dubai.

Re-Commerce today needs innovative and out of box solutions to cater to the ever growing demands of the customer. These solutions needs to be quick, adaptable and futuristic keeping in trend with the times and technology.

The purchase of non-essentialitems might seem a trivial activity to most but is bound to help start-ups pay their artisans and employees who depend on the company’s income at this time. Although demand has been affected, companies have kept their online portals functioning and are engaged in a number of marketing tactics to bring in the orders.

Coming from a 4-generation family of a textile Cempire, the scion of the Kishco group, Nohar Nath has single-handedly digitized the whole concept of thrifting through Kiabza.com. He has put a digital spin on the cool practice of buying and selling pre-owned clothes. A systematic approach was devised to not only extend the life of branded clothes but also simultaneously preserve the environment from the effects of fast fashion.

Actress Evelyn Sharma is taking her the next step towards responsible fashion. To buy only second-hand clothing is her New Year’s resolution for 2020, and it’s an easy one she says! Interestingly, this trend is not limited to celebrities but also common people are having a keen interest in not just exchanging goods with friends and family but also with strangers in exchange of money.

Watch our Founder and CEO Nohar Nath in candid discussion with RJ @salilacharya on extending the life of branded fashion.

It is rightly said that people with ideas revolutionize the world. Here is one such story of a visionary idea and the person behind it. Nohar Nath with his brainchild Kiabza.com is in pursuit of changing the textile industry.

To start with, tell us the very beginning of your journey - family and background...

COVID-19 has changed the way the world once ran. Be it remote working, surviving on bare necessities, stocking up essential goods, or relying on technology to communicate with the world outside, this pandemic has turned the world on its head within a span of months.

Upcoming Hindi Film, ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’ which is due for release on the 6th of December 2019 has Kiabza as their partners. Kiabza is a website for pre-owned branded fashion – a unique marketplace for people to buy and sell branded, authentic & hand-picked pre-owned fashion. The crew of the film is believed to have used fashion products resold by Kiabza. The film is a romantic comedy and a remake of a 1978 film of the same name which starred Sanjeev Kumar, Vidya Sinha, and Ranjeeta.

Kinder to the pocket and the environment, these online spaces for pre-loved goods are shedding the taboo of second-hand buys to emerge as preferred shopping alternatives. A sustainable practice that reduces the strain on our resources, encourages a circular economy, reduces the waste directed to the landfills and could eliminate the packaging waste! Consignment stores for pre-owned goods are an excellent medium for people who wish to give away the things they don’t need any longer, and for those who want to purchase new pieces without having to shell-out too much.

In the early months of 2020, the world has witnessed a major turn of events, as the Covid-19 pandemic, is responsible for some serious shifts in the global economy. In the last few months, it has caught brands across the world by surprise as the decision-makers of companies were completely unaware of the sudden dilemma.

Will consumer shopping experience shift to online post Covid 19, please find below the coverage in Icraze magazine.

In Hamlet, William Shakespeare wrote “the apparel oft proclaims the man”. Fashion is not only a state of mind but also an extension of one’s self. It is also a big business. The coronavirus pandemic has thrown the global economy into a tailspin and every aspect of supply chains has been severely impacted. “The number of people involved in the buying, selling and production of clothes is much higher than any other business in the world.

One of the most surprising trends to come to the surface this decade is the pre-owned industry. It needs no introduction as to how much growth this sector has seen, be it used vehicles to retail products. Today’s consumer is more conscious of what is being bought and how long is it in the usage cycle.

World Payments Congress marks an important milestone in how Kiabza and others are driving and adopting Ecommerce and Sustainability along with innovative solutions and practices.

Kiabza.com is a new venture of Nohar Nath, a graduate from the 1995 batch of JBIMS, and his son Abhishek Nath, an 18-year-old style enthusiast doing his undergraduate in USA. Nohar has spent the last 22 years working on the textile side of his family business, the illustrious KISHCO Group. Nohar has gradually shifted the groups focus to textile recycling and his vast knowledge and experience resulted in him being invited as a Guest Speaker at the World Recycling Conference in 2015 and 2017.