JBC wins Mercury Award with second-hand store

Fashion chain JBC has won the Belgian Mercury Award for its second-hand concept ‘Op-nieuw’/’Re-nouveau’. “With this concept, JBC was the first fashion retailer to find a physical answer to the multitude of online second-hand platforms”, the jury said.

‘Holy grail’ for fashion retail

With its innovative second-hand concept, JBC seamlessly integrates the physical sale of second-hand clothes into its existing shops and pop-ups, the jury found. This is more sustainable and user-friendly than online platforms. Moreover, by focusing on baby and children’s clothing, JBC is responding to the rapid rotation in this segment and creates added value for both its existing customers and a new target group of second-hand shoppers.

“The new second-hand shops make it as easy as possible for families to give their children’s clothes a second life in a sustainable way. It is therefore a huge compliment to see this initiative rewarded by this prestigious award”, CEO Bart Claes said. “It looks like JBC has found the holy grail that many industry peers have long been searching for”, jury chairman Gino Van Ossel added.

Last year, Ikea won the the Mercury Award for its autonomous drones taking inventories. That proved to be a successful start to a project that has since been implemented worldwide.

Shared bronze medal

The silver medal was for A.S.Adventure‘s in-house repair service for hiking boots, which has already repaired more than 2,500 pairs in the past year. With this additional service, the retailer aims to not only encourage consumers to choose quality products, but also convince them to extend the life of their products.

For the first time in the history of the Mercury Award, two laureates were awarded the bronze medal. Book chain Standaard Boekhandel created a Young Adult category with adapted corners for this age groups in its shops in Leuven and Ghent. WONDR Care, a start-up with sustainable and healthy care products, is bringing a breath of fresh air to the Belgian retail landscape. Its innovative digital marketing strikes a chord with a young target group, which feels appealed by its baseline ‘be the change’.