Worth The Weight

Worth The Weight: clothing sold by weight in Birmingham

Worth The Weight is a clothing retailer and wholesaler based in Birmingham that sells new and used clothing by the kilo. The company states it was the first to sell clothes by weight both online and in physical stores, and that it has been operating for 25 years. Its main shop is on Dennis Road, Birmingham, where it holds around 50 tonnes of stock and about 60 rails of vintage and modern clothing.

How the kilo sale works

Customers sort through the rails and then pay at one of the 'Weigh points', where staff assist with checkout. Pricing is based on weight rather than brand or trend: clothing is priced from £12 per kilo, and individual items can cost as little as £1.00. The store restocks daily and provides changing rooms on site. Payment methods accepted are cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, Google Pay and bank transfer.

Product range and brands

The rails are divided into categories including denim, sportswear, women's wear, men's wear, children's wear, summer wear, winter wear, outerwear, shoes and accessories, handbags and toys. The stock includes new top brands such as Topshop, River Island, Next, New Look, Primark, Boohoo, Superdry, Matalan, George, Marks & Spencer, Revolution, Avon, Dr. Martens, Nike and Adidas. Branded clothing arrives by the container load and is also sold in job lots by the pallet and by the container.

Grading and baling

Worth The Weight carries out in-house grading. Clothes are checked for condition and sorted into grades: Grade A (clean, checked clothes with no holes, rips or stains, all buttons and zips checked, medium to heavy use), Grade AA (same checks, light use and more vibrant colours), Top Class (original clothing with or without tags but not worn) and Vintage (old styles, generally items made between 30 and 60 years ago; true vintage carries a special tag). Grade A is baled into 55-kilo bales, Grade AA is boxed into 20-kilo boxes, and Cream (new clothing) is boxed into 20-kilo boxes. Customers can also have products baled into 10, 25 and 55-kilo cubes ready for export, and the company offers on-site baling of ten-kilo bags. The online shop sells in 10 or 20-kilo bags and offers an automatic bagging line that presses and seals products into ten-kilo bags.

Online shop and bulk buying

The online shop offers products including men's shirts, suits, T-shirts, workwear, coats, jumpers, joggers, hoodies and sportswear; dresses, ladies' tops, leggings, bras and pants, coats, jumpers and jackets; bedding, curtains, shoes and handbags. It also sells 55-kilo Grade A bales from £1.85 per kilo and five-kilo kids' packs at £7 per kilo. Branded trainers are priced from £10 per pair, men's working trousers at £5.00 per pair, and branded jeans at £12.00 per kilo. A Topshop leather jacket is listed at £25.00 against a stated original price of £85.00.

Vintage clothing and physical stores

The company has a special focus on retro and vintage clothing, with a large selection of men's and women's clothing from brands and designers including Topshop, Hugo Boss, Giorgio Armani, Chanel and River Island. The vintage shop is 4,000 square feet over two floors and also stocks old records, vintage toys, vintage telephones, signs and pictures. It opened its first vintage shop in Kings Heath in 2012, followed by Sparkhill in 2014, and now operates a factory shop in Moseley. The vintage clothing spans the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, and the store hosts events every day of the week.

Clearance store and toilet rolls

Worth The Weight also runs a clearance store on Dennis Road, Birmingham, where it sells toilet rolls in bulk. The company describes itself as the largest supplier of toilet tissues in the West Midlands and serves households, businesses, hotels and HMOs. Toilet rolls can be bought in the clearance store or online for next-day delivery.

Charity contributions

The company states that it contributes around £200,000 to charities each year, supporting causes around the world.