To rent or buy? What's in store for the clothing rental industry in Canada

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Clothing rental has become more mainstream over the last decade with the rise of the sharing economy, but the COVID-19 pandemic wasn't kind to these types of retailers. As pandemic restrictions lifted, however, some Canadian rental businesses saw a boost in traffic.

Julie Kalinowski, CEO of the dress and gown rental store The Fitzroy, is photographed in her Toronto store on Sept. 23, 2022. "I tried going shopping at the mall, but noticed there was a scarce collection of formal dresses," the 30-year-old said. "It was actually very surprising. It's still the pandemic-loungewear kind of vibe throughout a lot of retail stores."

One of the most prominent clothing rental businesses, if not the most, is U.S.-based Rent the Runway, founded in 2009, which quickly became a hit with women who wanted access to designer clothing but didn't want to spend tons of money on outfits they might wear once or twice. According to Drak, Gen Z will be the generation that really moves the industry forward because of their excitement around shopping resale, whether it's for economic reasons, aiming to reduce clothing waste or to find one-of-a-kind pieces.

This would involve a strong understanding of the community the business operates in, the use of high-quality Canada-made items from ethical brands, finding ways to clean and repair clothes in a way that isn't harmful to the environment, and avoiding long-distance shipping. The company launched right before the pandemic, which Gill said was definitely a learning experience.

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