M&AJul 14, 2026, 11:33 UTC

Kappahl buys majority stake in Swedish secondhand chain Arkivet

What's the deal? Swedish fashion retailer Kappahl Group has acquired a majority stake in Arkivet, a modern consignment secondhand fashion chain in Sweden founded in 2017 with six stores across three cities. The move adds an established resale operation to the mainstream retailer's portfolio.

What each side brings: Kappahl is a long-standing Swedish clothing retailer selling new apparel. Arkivet is one of Sweden's biggest and best-known consignment secondhand stores, giving Kappahl a foothold in resale rather than building one from scratch. Kappahl said the deal forms part of its strategy to build a family of strong brands, where each brand develops independently while benefiting from shared group resources.

The signal: The deal lands amid a broader push into circular fashion, with capital flowing across the sector in a single busy fortnight. B2B secondhand marketplace Fleek raised $25 million from backers including eBay, FJ Labs, and H14; digital wardrobe platform Whering raised $7 million; and textile sorting startup reverse.fashion secured new funding. For a mainstream retailer, buying into an existing secondhand player is a faster route into resale than growing one internally.