Clothes-swapping website thrives in credit crunch

Style-conscious students, it seems, need not fear for their wardrobes in the wake of the economic downturn, as a recent City University graduate has launched a website facilitating nationwide clothes swapping.

CovertCandy.co.uk employs a system of credits, whereby one credit signifies one pound. So, the owner of a dress from Topshop, bought originally for £30 and worn frequently over the course of two months, could consequently choose to market the item for approximately 15 credits depending on its condition. Once sold, the owner has then got 15 credits to spend on clothing, accessories and shoes posted on the website.

Website founder and business graduate Harry Follett explained: “We felt that it could be more fun to use credits, as it means young people from across the United Kingdom can obtain new clothes without ever having to worry about money.

“We were on a snowboarding trip in our first year at university, and my friend had a shirt that I liked, so the subject of swapping came up. We realised that exchanging clothes between two people was unlikely to be very successful, as the chances of two people owning items that would suit them both are really very slim. But we consequently came up with a system that enables the customer to swap clothes within an internet community, without the restrictions of just one-on-one”.

Although the concept behind the website has been in development for a few years, the current economic crisis has lead consumers nationwide to try to find new ways to save money, meaning CovertCandy may appeal to those who need to tighten the belts of their high-waisted jeans. Since the website’s launch in Jaunary 2009, www.covertcandy.co.uk has attracted almost 2000 members, who consider the website as a means to attain fashionable items without spending a penny.

Targeting both young men and women, the clothes currently available across the website range from pairs of Topman jeans marketed at 15 credits to never-been-worn Abercrombie and Fitch skirts for 20. One user selling a rare Pied-a-Terre jacket priced at 100 credits alongside a French Connection top for 15 demonstrates the variety of items available to the website’s users.

Following the lead of successful social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, CovertCandy is centred on personal profiles, which the developers maintain give the website "the feel of a young and stylish community" – a dynamic notably absent from its rival, eBay.com. The profiles enable website members to find people who may share a particular fondness for Urban Outfitters, or look for somebody with a track record of fast deliveries.

Although the website is currently only accessible to UK residents, the four-person team behind CovertCandy intend to expand overseas in the future: “it’s hard not to get carried away at this stage in time, but we keep planning things that ideally we’ll look into after the website has been around for a bit longer. Delivery within the UK ensures a degree of security for our members, as the Royal Mail deals very efficiently with any problems or complaints and we don’t want to jeopardise our reputation at this point.”