Papu has long been one of the pioneers in the Finnish clothing industry in terms of sustainability and has been awarded the title of the most responsible women's clothing brand in Finland by Eetti ry.
Our goal is to give our products a long and meaningful lifespan. Encouraging customers to recycle products has been at the core of our operations from the very beginning. Our partner Ninyes interviewed Papu's founder and sustainability expert Anna Kurkela.
Could you briefly tell us the story of Papu Design? What sets Papu apart from other clothing brands?
Papu Design was founded in 2012 on a strong set of values. We aim to offer our customers joyful, long-lasting and responsibly made products. Our mission is to make textile industry more sustainable through example.
Our story began with children's clothing, but as our women's collection gained popularity, the proportion of women's clothing in our lineup grew steadily. Today, we exclusively create products for women. Our distinctive colors, recognizable and beloved product models, and unique and striking prints set us apart from other brands.
Papu was one of the first to develop a resale service together with Ninyes. What inspired you to establish Papu Pre-Loved / where did the idea originate?
Sustainability is one of the cornerstones of our operations, and encouraging customers to recycle products has been a strong presence since the beginning. Over the past year, we began to more strongly develop services that support the circular economy. Maintenance and repair services, as well as our own Pre-Loved service, were part of this development work. We have been collaborating with Ninyes for some time, and together we developed an excellent Pre-Loved model that allows us to sell our products through Ninyes, as well as in our own online store and physical store.
Why is it important for Papu to have used Papu Pre-Loved products available in your online store and physical stores?
Our products perform well in the pre-loved market because they are durable and have a good resale value. We believe it is responsible for the brand to take care of the recycling of its products and to make it easy for customers. We wanted to make pre-loved sales an even more integral part of our business.
In what direction is Papu Pre-Loved developing / what new things are coming?
Currently, our challenge has been to get women's products for sale as quickly as they are being bought, so hopefully, we will find solutions to this in the future. The sales volumes of pre-loved products have been continuously increasing, and I believe this trend will continue. We aim to further improve the customer experience of the Pre-Loved service, with adding products for sale in our own channels being the first step.
What do you think is the best aspect of Papu and Ninyes' collaboration / Ninyes' service?
From the brand's perspective, the best part is definitely the ease of the service. Ninyes handles receiving, photographing, storing, and shipping the products for us, so our responsibility is only to add the products to the online store and physical store.
For customers, the best part is that when they deliver products for sale, they receive compensation immediately after the products are processed in the form of a gift card, which can be chosen for multiple brands. Additionally, customers can find several brands through Ninyes' channels.
What are your tips for buying a used Papu Pre-Loved product?
If possible, it's worth visiting our Papu Store in Helsinki to check out the Pre-Loved selection, where you can try on the product and see its condition firsthand. Of course, we have also made online shopping as easy as possible with pictures and product descriptions.
Among pre-loved clothes, you can find real treasures from previous collections, and now is a particularly good time to buy children's clothes while they are still available on the market.
What is your personal favorite Papu Pre-Loved product?
From the current online store selection, my favorite product is the Beside Wide Sleeve Gardigan, which I am considering buying.
Additionally, many children's products are my favorites because they bring back so many memories and are becoming quite rare!
-Anna
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Explore the Papu Pre-Loved collection HERE