Kiabi opens first resale-only Kidkanaï store

By

Marion Deslandes

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Nov 25, 2022

French family fashion retailer Kiabi is experimenting with resale opportunities once again. The chain, owned by the Mulliez group, has developed a new store concept called Kidkanaï, entirely centred on selling pre-owned products for infants and children, from 0 to 12 years of age. The first Kidkanaï store is opening on November 25 in the commercial area of Leers, near Roubaix in northern France, as Kiabi posted on LinkedIn.

It is a vast, 1,200 square metre store commercialising a wide range of second-hand products, from clothing and footwear to toys, sporting goods, books and childcare equipment. An outlet section will sell food as well as safety and personal care products. The décor is fun and colourful, with a bright yellow frontage, interiors enlivened by splashes of green and purple, and an ample seating area.

“Kidkanaï is more than just a retail concept, it aims to become a real lifestyle venue, where people will enjoy spending time,” wrote Kiabi in the job ads for the new store. A venue designed as “a trove of attractions,” as Ismael El Hamouchi, the brains behind Kidkanaï, described it on LinkedIn, a place where people can play, have a coffee, attend conferences and DIY workshops. An app will enable customers to register the items they wish to sell, before dropping them off at the store.

This first Kidkanaï store is a further experiment for Kiabi, which has been testing out the resale sector since 2020. In 2022, the retailer is planning to introduce 87 sections selling pre-owned clothes for women, children and babies within its stores, some 40 of which already feature such sections. The objective is to install them in all 340 of Kiabi’s French stores in 2023. Kiabi is also operating a resale website, launched in 2021 with its partner Rediv (formerly Patatam).

The French retailer is open to new shopping solutions, and has recently launched a clothes rental trial, using a subscription formula. The service is dedicated to the whole family, and is available at three Kiabi stores.

Kiabi was founded in 1978, and in 2021 it generated a revenue of nearly €2 billion, via its 553 stores worldwide. In September, the group laid the foundation stone for a building that will host its new headquarters, a flagship store, offices, a crèche and various restaurants.