As lockdown increases Brits’ desire to zhuzh up homes, we need to talk about fast homewares.
WATCH & SHARE THE SHORT FILM HERE
On Average:
- Brits spend £7.9 billion on homewares annually
- We’re buying at least 404 Million homeware items (an average of almost 8 items per year)
- 14.5 Million Brits bin unwanted, unbroken homewares sending reusable homewares to landfill
Since Lockdown:
- 25.6 Million Brits (48% of adults) changed the look of at least one room
- Over a third (37%) agree the look of their home has become more important since lockdown
- Nearly a third (32%), or 17.2 Million want to zhuzh up their home more than ever before
- Nearly a quarter (24%) bought homewares during lockdown
1-8 August 2020, Barnardo’s Retail and interiors expert Geraldine Tan @littlebigbell open the Barnardo’s x @littlebigbell Virtual Homewares Pop Up. To showcase the treasures to be found at charity shops and raise much needed funds for Barnardo’s, whilst highlighting the problem of fast homewares.
Curated by the award winning @littlebigbell (donating her time and expertise for free) the online store will sell covetable homewares donated to Barnardo’s. All items big and small will start at just 99p and be open to bidding for one week, after which items will be sent direct to the winning bidders.
Look out for on-trend pre-loved pieces from Le Creuset, Oliver Bonas and a gorgeous vintage jade green tea set. Special thanks go to Bombay Duck London, Catherine Rowe designs, Doodle_Moo ,Eleanor Bowmer, Gayle Mansfield Designs, Hannah Carvel, Kitty McCall, Moi_Mili, Nanas of Anarchy,Particular People ,Sugar Snap Studio, The Native State and W.A Green who have all generously donated pieces.
Geraldine Tan @littlebigbell said: “I’m super excited about the collection of homewares we have put together with Barnardo’s; there are some gorgeous pieces. I get real joy from pre-loved shopping and it’s a charity and a cause I feel very strongly about”
Our homes have arguably never been so important. As charity shops re open Barnardo’s would like to encourage Brits to shop pre loved homewares as the sustainable, affordable option.
A nationally representative survey of over 2,000 UK adults commissioned by Barnardo’s in February 2020 before lockdown, found on average Brits spend a massive £7.9 Billion on homewares annually. Shockingly a further 27% bin unwanted, unbroken homewares which would mean 14.5 million items are ending up in landfill annually, if we assume they all only bin 1 item each per year. This needs to change.
A follow-up survey for Barnardo’s conducted since lockdown in June 2020, found over a third (37%) of Brits agree the look of their home has become more important to them since lockdown and nearly a third (32%) want to zhuzh up their home more than ever before. In fact nearly a quarter (24%) bought homewares during lockdown to update rooms.
In the survey pre lockdown over a quarter (28%) of Brits claimed to completely change the look of a room at least once a year, and 23% completely change the look of a room at least once every 1-2 years. We asked the question again in June and a massive 48% (an estimated 25 Million) have changed the look of at least one room since lockdown began. That’s almost double the amount that would usually be expected over a longer period.
Other findings from the February survey include 20% of Brits (1 in 5) agreed that they judge a person by the look of their home and possibly with this in mind 20% of those who buy homeware do so to “zhush up a room before having people over.” And by far Brits’ favourite indulgence is cushions, with 38% of people having brought at least one cushion in the last year – that’s 20.6 million of us, and only 7% of these people bought cushions from a charity shop.
Javed Khan chief executive of Barnardo’s said: “Barnardo’s is grateful to Geraldine and all involved for their generous support. The coronavirus pandemic has hit vulnerable families the hardest, with many reaching crisis point. All funds raised will go to our work supporting vulnerable children across the UK, more important now than ever.”
Shop the Barnardo’s x @littlebigbell Pop Up from 9am 1 August to Midnight 8 August, atwww.barnardoslittlebigbell.com. Support the campaign by showing what you’ve found in your local Barnardo’s using the #MyBarnardosFind or #BarnardosHomewares on Social Media.