A route bringing together all the second-hand shops in Namur, the good plan!

“It works quite well. I was even able to hire an employee last September,” rejoices the 26-year-old manager. “My store responded to a demand because there weren’t really any vintage second-hand clothing stores in Namur. And generally speaking in Belgium, the demand for second-hand goods is growing.”

Noting that many of her customers regularly asked her about other second-hand stores in the city center and their locations, Louise Fivet had the idea of ​​carrying out this plan. “In fact, there are a lot more than we think,” she says. “It’s just that some are non-profit organizations, like Oxfam or Terre, for which communication is not a priority or which are less present on social networks. Others also sell new and are less known for selling second hand.”

Not just clothes

The plan compiles not only clothing stores but also other items such as the Ramd’Âm store, which offers second-hand cultural items (vinyls, books, comics, CDs, DVDs, etc.); Antigua Cabaña, which sells second-hand furniture and vintage interior design items; or the Broc’Café, where it is possible to find flea market items at good prices while enjoying a delicious coffee.

All of these aforementioned businesses are concentrated in the streets of Carmes or Saint-Joseph, a district that has been coming back to life for several years now by offering great, ethical and/or original concepts. “But the plan includes shops located elsewhere in the city center, whether at the top, like Bibliopolis avenue de la gare, or at the bottom, like the Oxfam bookshop on rue Bas de la Place or Le Chineur, rue des Brasseurs “, informs Louise Fivet.

“The Second Hand Path”, the new plan which brings together 16 businesses in the city center of Namur. ©Julie Douxfils

Reuse tourism

In order to make these second-hand cards a reality, Louise Fivet received 5,000 euros to print them and develop their design (created by Namuroise Eileen, from Liveen Agency) thanks to the Puls’action bonus from the City of Namur. She hopes to develop this tool as new second-hand businesses flourish in Namur.

The “Second Hand Path” is available in the shops mentioned there, at the Tourist Office and at the Namur Center Ville non-profit organization (rue du Beffroi). According to Louise Fivet, reuse and second-hand tourism is on the rise, especially among the younger generation. “It is definitely a visiting objective for young people but it is more frequent in Flanders like in Ghent and Antwerp or in other large cities like Brussels,” she observes.

This is a new tool to promote the circular economy, attract customers looking for more conscious shopping and raise awareness of Namur as a new second-hand destination.