Supermarket chain Asda is set to start selling second-hand clothes in 50 of its stores across the UK, following a successful trial in Leeds.

George at Asda has partnered with specialist wholesaler Preloved Vintage Kilo to roll out the scheme to 50 of its stores across the UK, including in London, Bristol, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Brighton.

The retailer said the partnership would “give a new lease of life” to pre-worn garments and allow customers to “buy vintage, retro and second-hand branded pieces, preventing thousands of tonnes of garments going to landfill each year”.

Asda said the move was part of its ‘George for Good’ campaign designed to cut down on textile waste and encourage customers to take unwanted clothes back to stores. 

George senior director of sustainable sourcing and quality Mel Wilson said: “We know that sustainable fashion is something that’s really important to our customers and colleagues. 

“They’re passionate about us encouraging everyone in the UK to think about the issues of waste and how we can make fashion and textiles more circular, so that we really can reduce the number of garments that go into landfill.

“This is an exciting partnership for George, it’s unique in that not only can our customers pick out some vintage and often designer garments at an affordable price, but they’re also helping to reduce waste by giving these items a second lease of life, which is something we are proud to be a part of.”

Preloved Vintage managing director Steve Lynam said: “Our partnership with George at Asda is one that we are extremely proud of. In a world where we are becoming more environmentally conscious this partnership will help bring sustainable fashion to the mainstream, which is something as a business we strive for in everything we do.

“The more people who buy into the circular economy and shop vintage and retro, the bigger impact we will have on climate change. As a business we have saved over 800 tonnes of clothing going to landfill and with the growth of our partnership that is set to increase dramatically.”