Would you rent a designer handbag? New Canadian company launches stylish subscription option

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Scrolling through social media, it can seem like everyone has a new designer bag, every month.

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While that’s likely not the case (although, it may be for some), companies like the recently launched Zero Collective are aiming to make that designer handbag turnover a possibility with handbag rentals.

The Canadian subscription company rents designs from some of the most coveted brands including Celine and Dior, starting at $159 per month.

We caught up with founder Gina Yoo to learn more:

Q: What is Zero Collective?

A: Zero Collective is a first-of-its-kind subscription in Canada that gives you access to all of your favourite designer bags with one membership.

Members can rent a bag with the choice to swap after 30 days or keep it as long as they want, with the option to purchase the bag for a members-only discounted price, and a portion of the monthly membership subscription going towards it as a credit. We have a variety of bags for all occasions: work, vacation, nights out and everything else.

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Q: What makes it unique?

A: It’s Canada’s first membership platform that gives you unlimited access to luxury goods. We built this startup to really focus on delivering what Canadians continue to care about:

Affordability: designer bags continue to rise in price, and have become quite unaffordable. Chanel pieces have more than doubled in price in the past 10 years with some of their bags increasing 17 per cent in just one year (2023 versus 2024). So, instead of purchasing bags that can retail for over $10,000, you are still able to access desirable bags for a fraction of the price.

Accessibility: the membership provides accessibility to different brands, styles and materials. It’s a fun process where you can discover bags you traditionally would have never selected.

Sustainability: we proudly have preloved and vintage bags as a part of our Collective. Instead of bags that may sit in someone’s closet not being worn and collecting dust, Zero Collective provides a way where bags are shared in a Collective that is being enjoyed and loved.

There’s an interesting tension between the fact that Canadians want luxury and want to carry designer bags (the growing market size of the Canadian luxury sector is $2.78 billion), but there is an upward trend of wanting more sustainable options.

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Q: Who is the target customer?

A: Our target customers are Canadians who are either designer-curious — they are looking at purchasing a designer bag but haven’t pulled the trigger because they’re not sure of the brand, style, colour and don’t want to make a big investment (yet) until they are 100 per cent sure. With Zero Collective, it gives them the flexibility to ‘try before you buy.’ Or, they already own all the designer bags in classic styles and colours, but want to try unique colours, fabrics and styles before they purchase.

Q: How are the handbags sourced?

A: We source bags from a variety of partners around the world. The bags we are the most proud of are the vintage bags that are rare and hard to find.

Q: How does the membership model work?

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A: Canadians can apply for Zero Collective and will be automatically put on our wait list. We prioritize applications that are referred by our current members. Our classic membership ($159/month) provides access to bags that retail under $4,500, while the Deluxe membership ($229/month) gives access to our unlimited retail value collection.

Q: Lastly, what has been the feedback so far?

A: The feedback has been stellar. Canadians don’t get the same shopping options that our U.S. friends do, so launching Zero Collective has been exciting and the support has been incredible … I have lived in N.Y.C. for the past seven years and made the move back to Toronto to launch this business because I’m very passionate about Canadians having a retail experience that delivers on what is important to them.

Aharris@postmedia.com

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