Gumtree has held a pop-up event in London at which all items were given away free of charge.
The event, in the hipster neighborhood of Shoreditch, took place on Saturday, Jul. 30. Shoppers were invited to take one free item, from one of four categories: Garden Party, Outgrown, Laze By The Beach and Rainy Daze.
Pitched as a way for Gumtree to champion its Freebies category, the pop-up event — or “’Gumfree” as it was dubbed — was intended to ensure “much needed everyday items make their way to Londoners’ households completely free of charge.”
“Despite freebies being one of our most popular categories, our research has shown that there is still a taboo around secondhand goods and a stigma around having to source items for free. Forty-two percent of people we surveyed shared they feel ashamed or embarrassed to ask for help managing the cost of living crisis,” said Gumtree, announcing the event.
“We want to champion the community spirit on our platform, that together we can share more and waste less not only to build a culture of recommerce but to help our neighbors and local community source needed items in a time of economic pressure. So… this July we bring you the Gumtree freebies category in real life for one day only.”
Gumtree said the event, attended by public figures, would have the threefold benefit of saving consumers’ money, helping unburden donors of unwanted goods, and preventing items going to landfill.
The Gumtree brand is present in Australia, Ireland, Singapore, South Africa and the U.K. Parent company Adevinta sold the U.K. site to investors Novum Capital and O3 Industries in December.