The Preloved Co: A store in Bengaluru where you can thrift for a cause

The thrift store is co-founded by Bengaluru-based Mariam Begg and Meghna Khanna

Co-founded by Bengaluru-based Mariam Begg and Meghna Khanna, the Preloved Co is a clothing thrift store at Halasuru, Bengaluru, that raises funds for different NGOs and social organisations. The Preloved Co. also aims for sustainability by taking in used clothes in good condition from local donors and selling them at affordable prices.

“All the proceeds from our sales, after covering our expenses, go to different NGOs working for social causes such as WeLive, Ulsoor Canine Squad, Home of Hope and other organisations that support the slums, transgenders and sex workers,” says Meghna.

The store which opened in December 2023 has a varied collection ranging from Indian and Western wear, as well as casuals and formals from brands such as Christian Dior, Zara, H&M as well as home grown labels and local brands such as Nicobar, The Summer House and FabIndia.

The clothing store also collaborates regularly with exhibitions in the city — Sunday Soul Sante, Namu Recommends Vegan Market, Hundred Hands, apart from partnering with corporates, apartment complexes and spaces like GoodEarth Malar, the Brigade Group, the Bangalore International Centre and the Bangalore Creative Circus.

“Luckily, we have many volunteers who come in to help us at the store as well during such exhibitions. We also offer them an opportunity to intern with us,” says Meghna.

Vanshika Singh, a college student who regularly volunteers at the Preloved Co, recently completed an internship there and says, “There are a lot of ways in which a volunteer can help. I aided with sales and marketing which included interacting with the customers, sorting clothes before the event and billing during different exhibitions.”

Meghana mentions that people sometimes misinterpret the term “preloved” to mean a donations store. “Most of the time people reach out to us with used clothes which we don’t accept. We don’t donate our clothes directly to charity — we sell them and it is the amount we raise through their sales that is donated to charity. That is why we only accept garments that are saleable, and not worn out clothing.”