New phase for second-hand shop – Elävä Group builds the future of reuse

Matkus Luuppi, opening in Kuopio in August, is a bold step towards a new generation of more responsible consumption.

Second-hand is no longer a marginal phenomenon. It has rapidly become a part of Finns' everyday lives and, at the same time, a serious contender in the retail sector. More and more people are choosing used items, and more and more retailers are considering how reuse can be developed professionally, sustainably, and in a way that genuinely interests customers.

The second-hand market is clearly at a turning point. It's no longer just about individual shops or acts of responsibility, but about a serious business for the future and new business opportunities. One concrete step in this development is Matkus Luuppi – a circular economy centre opening in August at Matkus in Kuopio, which brings second-hand goods trading into a completely new environment.

Mikä Matkus Luuppi on ja miksi se on perustettu?

Luuppi is a bold initiative by three partners. It is a circular economy centre where a shopping centre, a sorting station, and a training centre form a unique whole, a new kind of ecosystem that prioritises reuse.

Matkus Luuppi, opening in August, will bring reuse, recycling, education, and an experiential second-hand shopping centre under one roof. The aim is to build an operating model where the lifecycle of goods is extended as much as possible, with reuse always taking precedence over final recycling.

The idea is simple, but the goal ambitious: we want to be a trailblazer and make buying pre-owned a normal part of people's everyday lives. From August onwards, people will be able to recycle and make responsible purchases all in one visit. Recycling and buying pre-owned will be brought under the same roof and become a natural part of daily life.

We are coming to where people already are. Matkus currently receives around three million visitors annually, and with the opening of Matkus Luuppi, the number of visitors is expected to grow even further.

What makes Matkus Luup unique?

Matkus Luuppi is exceptional in several ways:

• Finland's first shopping centre dedicated solely to second-hand products.
• A unique entity on a European scale, where a shopping centre and a sorting station together form a completely new way of recycling – a model where reuse is always prioritised.
• The first place where the training centre is part of the same entity. Community, social employment and coaching are included in daily operations.

The underlying idea is that the status of used goods cannot be strengthened without new operating models and a functional, profitable business. If reuse is to become mainstream, it must be accessible, easy, and attractive – just like any other retail.

A brave partnership enables a new kind of model

Matkus Luuppi would not have been realised without a bold vision and strong partnership. The project is built on Ingka Centres Kuopio, The Elävä Group and Jätekukko Oy's for cooperation.

Matkus Shopping Centre, owned by Ingka Centres Kuopio Oy, plays a key role in enabling the entire project. As the developer and owner of Matkus Luuppi, Ingka brings strong, international shopping centre expertise to the project. Elävä Group provides expertise in reuse, multi-channel second-hand trade, and social employment, while Jätekukko offers waste management expertise.

Together, we are building a model that transforms the green transition into concrete actions and creates new, sustainable reuse solutions, in Finland and internationally. The aim is a scalable concept that serves as an example of a new way to combine second-hand trade, the circular economy, and community spirit.

At the Elävä Group, Elävä Kauppa Oy is responsible for developing the Elävä second-hand business and strengthening reuse. Elävä Foundation's role strongly emphasises development, community work, and sustainability communication. Social employment and coaching are a shared core task for both and a central part of the Luuppi entity.

The Elävä Group also makes it possible to develop and offer new types of green transition jobs, for example in product identification, maintenance, and repair. Elävä Foundation's CEO, Erno Kääriäinen, has been involved in developing community-based reuse operating models and networks for several years, and his vision and long-term work are clearly reflected in Luuppi's concept.

Second-hand needs branding and customer understanding

Second-hand doesn't grow on responsibility alone. It grows when the customer finds it genuinely interesting.

Therefore, the core of the Elävä second-hand concept's development lies in the fundamental elements of multichannel business, a strong value base, an authentic story, and an excellent customer experience. The business for pre-owned items must be branded, current, and inspiring, not a compromise.

When a strong value base and excellent customer experience are at the core of developing the second-hand trade, second-hand also reaches people for whom used has not previously been a natural choice.

The retail sector is interested – and rightly so

It is clear that the retail sector is following the development of second-hand business with increasing precision. Consumer behaviour is changing, sustainability is having an ever-greater impact on purchasing decisions, and new revenue models are being actively sought.

Second-hand offers answers to this when viewed as a business, not just a phenomenon. Matkus Luuppi serves as an example of how circular economy and sustainable business can be built together in a shopping centre environment.

It is, above all, about change.

Ultimately, it's about a change in mindset. Second-hand is no longer on the fringes of retail, but at its core.

Change requires courage, professional business development, and a desire to build solutions that genuinely interest people. Matkus Luuppi is an important step in this change – not the only answer, but a clear signal of where the industry can evolve when second-hand business is built with customer understanding at its core, fostering a strong brand.

At the Elävä Group, we have a clear goal: we combine enhancing the value of reuse, responsible consumption, and social impact.

We want to make reuse easy, attractive, and widely accessible, not just an option, but the new normal. Our goal is for pre-owned to become the primary purchasing decision for more and more people.

Choosing second-hand is already my primary way of consuming. I believe that when buying becomes effortless, inspiring, and a natural part of everyday life, even more people will make the same choice.