Bumble Bee Shoppee: the new online Maltese thrift store you need to know about PRONTO
There’s a new thrift store in town that goes by the name of Bumble Bee Shoppee. The Instagram-based thrift store is run by two local girls, Sarah and Francesca, and sells clothes of all shapes and sizes in unisex.
Sarah and Francesca have always had a sense of environmental awareness, especially considering the dire state of our natural world, and are trying to make a change not only through this online thrift store but in their own personal lives, too. “Neither of us drives, we recycle and separate our waste, we are very conscious of where we buy products from, and Francesca has recently adopted a vegan lifestyle.”
Bumble Bee Shoppee’s roots
The girls explain to me that impulse buying was actually their inspiration to start this store. “Sarah set it up, with the intention to declutter her wardrobe,” they say. This came after years of impulse buying, when Sarah had ended up with items she never actually used – something we’re all guilty of. “In February 2019, we thought of taking Sarah’s idea a step further and making it an online thrift store, taking donations from people and giving some money back to local environmental organisations, hitting multiple birds with one stone.”
“Bumble Bee Shoppee stems from our awareness that bees are one of the many species facing the risk of extinction because of human activity and its effects on the environment and ecosystems around the world,” they tell me. “Apart from that, the bumble bee made a really cute logo, too!”
The purpose
The girls explain that the purpose of their thrift store isn’t to primarily sell clothing, but selling used clothing. “We aim to sell second-hand clothing because of the effects manufacturing clothing has on the environment and we also wanted to give something back to local organisations who share our same values when it comes to the environment.”
“Making money is not the premise of our store. We are aware that there aren’t many thrift stores locally, even more so in areas which are accessible to people from all around the island. Having a thrift store online makes it accessible to people from anywhere in Malta.” And, we agree that social media is the easiest way to do so.
How can you get your hands on their stuff, you ask? Just follow these easy steps!
1. Send them a private message on Instagram with things you’d like to donate or buy.
2. Set a pick-up date and place or alternatively opt to be sent items by mail.
3. Dolla bills! Items are usually given to the first person to confirm the purchase by sending their payment via revolut, paypal, or cash if you’ll be meeting face-to-face.
Their vision
Sarah and Francesca have already donated to Maltese NGOs such as Zibel and Moviment Graffiti to help them make a meaningful change on the local scene. “We’re also trying to encourage people to educate themselves about the changes in the environment, be they negative or positive, and realise that by simply buying second-hand clothing they’ll be making a big change in their lifestyle that will, in turn, have a positive impact on the environment. We honestly believe it could make a real difference.”