The Handbag Clinic launches in Fenwick, York

Luxury handbag restoration and preowned designer resale retailer, The Handbag Clinic is expanding its partnership with premium department store, Fenwick, with the opening of its third in-store concession in Fenwick York (Thursday 20^th April). As a seamless and fully circular service, it’s integrated offering of ‘Buy, Sell, Restore, Authenticate’ will enable its Yorkshire-based clientele to enjoy fashion more consciously by prolonging the life of their luxury handbags, shoes, luggage and leather clothing whilst boosting the region’s circular economy through its preowned resale service.

Located on the ground floor in a prime position, The Handbag Clinic will be a ‘shop within a shop’ and bring premium luxury brands such Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Mulberry to the North Yorkshire retail scene with its handpicked collection of fully authenticated, preowned luxury handbags, luggage and accessories available to purchase in Fenwick York. The Handbag Clinic’s arrival in Fenwick York will enable shoppers to enjoy luxury for less, snapping up the world’s most coveted brands for up to 80 percent of the original RRP, or selling on handbags they no longer use, freeing up cash to reinvest into their latest fashion desires. Because every bag is carefully assessed and cleaned before going on sale, consumers can be sure that, whether buying brand new with tags or gently loved, the item will be in excellent condition.

As the third instalment of a nationwide rollout partnership, the launch of The Handbag Clinic in Fenwick York follows two successful launches in Fenwick Newcastle (2020) and Fenwick Colchester (2021). Both concessions enjoyed rapid growth within the last 12 months, with Newcastle turnover up 77 percent and Colchester up 32 percent year-on-year. York was identified as the next prime retail location for The Handbag Clinic’s integration into Fenwick through market research, which highlighted a robust consumer appetite for both luxury and sustainable brands within the North and West Yorkshire regions.

Through The Handbag Clinic’s in-store restoration services, Fenwick customers can shop with increased confidence and feel empowered to invest in luxury handbags and shoes knowing there is an after-care programme in place that far exceeds standard warranties.  Not only can customers now give their over-loved luxury items a second life and increase their value should they decide to sell them on, they can also significantly extend the lifespan of a brand new purchase by booking it in for a protective treatment with The Handbag Clinic at the point of purchase.  From cleaning and conditioning treatments, removing stubborn stains, repairing scuffs and tears or replacing broken zips, split piping, worn edges and damaged hardware, improving colour loss, reinforcing shape and stretched straps; The Handbag Clinic’s dedicated team of artisans combine the finest craftsmanship, technology and innovative techniques to achieve the seemingly impossible.

The service couldn’t be easier, customers can visit www.handbagclinic.co.uk for an online quote before dropping their handbag to The Handbag Clinic in Fenwick York during store opening hours. The Handbag Clinic provides a free contactless courier service so, once their artisans have worked their magic, customer’ handbags are returned direct to their door.  Prices are bespoke and start from £19.95 for minor stitch work and go right through to £600+ for complex exotic restoration. The most popular treatment is a full restoration at £255, which includes a clean on the exterior and interior, removal of all areas of wear/scuff/staining from the exterior, any minor stitch repairs and a carefully crafted protection treatment to nourish and protect the leather.

Because the Clinic restores over 700+ bags each month, artisans have an intrinsic understanding of premium brands and their common areas of wear and tear and have created bespoke, brand specific restoration treatments to address this. This includes the replating of 24 carat gold on a Chanel’ CC lock and hand-dyeing the rope finish for a Balenciaga City. All items brought into The Handbag Clinic at Fenwick York are securely packaged and transferred to the Clinic in Newcastle, where the expert team of artisans will fully assess the work and provide a quote for approval before completing the work and returning the item directly to the customer.

The Handbag Clinic’s CEO and Co-Founder, Charlotte Staerck, said: “We are excited to be expanding our partnership with Fenwick, who share our vision of bringing conscious consumption to the nation’s luxury enthusiasts. Buying and selling preowned items has made luxury fashion much more accessible and we’re proud to be bringing the joy of owning some of the world’s most sought-after bags to Yorkshire shoppers. By encouraging people to enjoy fashion more sustainably, we hope to preserve the promise of luxury for generations to come.”

The Handbag Clinic offers a wide range of services to revive, restore or even reimagine luxury handbags, shoes and accessories by changing the colour or adding bespoke features such as an additional strap. Because of its industry-renowned authentication service, buyers can shop with confidence that each item has been stringently vetted before going on sale. The team also provide advice as to how clients can increase or maintain the value of their handbag.

The Handbag Clinic, which operates through stores and concessions in Newcastle, Colchester and London, is the longest-established luxury restoration and preowned retailer in the UK. As the UK’s only fully circular business model, The Handbag Clinic’s integrated offering of ‘Buy, Sell, Restore, Authenticate’ uniquely combines restoration with authentication and resale to deliver a seamless service for conscious luxury connoisseurs and collectors. With a mission to preserve the past whilst mindfully reinventing for the future, The Handbag Clinic is a proud gatekeeper of sustainable luxury. Within the last 12 months, The Handbag Clinic has seen triple digit growth, 150 per cent year-on-year, with an 87 per cent uptick in handbag acquisitions and a 40 per cent rise in restoration sales.

To book an instore consultation at Fenwick York, visit www.handbagclinic.co.uk