If you’re anything like me, you take your values on holiday with you. You avoid plastic. You fly as little as possible. And you pack your tent up after a festival.
However, I do understand how hard it can sometimes be to find places to shop ethically while in a foreign country. For English speakers, we’re lucky we can converse across countries, but local knowledge is still hard to gain.
On my trip to Stockholm, I was fortunate enough to be accompanied by my Swedish friend Sara who is also an ethical shopper, an organic hairdresser, and also a staunch vegan. She made finding ethical shops in Stockholm a breeze!
If you’re planning a trip to the Swedish capital, make sure to bookmark these locations…
Ecosphere
Bergsunds strand 32, 117 38 Stockholm, Sweden
My favourite ethical shopping trip was to Ecosphere. I was fondly introduced to Pernilla, Ecosphere’s Founder, by Sara, who is already a regular customer and all-round fan of the store. Stocking a mix of small, ethical European and Nordic brands (Cossac, O My Bag, Signe, Veja, Woron) as well as ethical shopping essentials (Klean Kanteen, tote bags, and all of Naomi Klein’s books in English and Swedish), it’s a great place to pick up a new item or two for your wardrobe.
Emmaus Vintage
Peter Myndes backe 8, 118 46 Stockholm, Sweden
If you’re looking for a vintage find that no-one else with have, Emmaus is the place to go. Their shop is divided into two halves: on the left, a traditional thrift store with way too many clothes and way too many rails. On the right, a basement store full of vintage clothes that is led down to by a staircase covered in flowers. The right side is the way to go; I found a Ganni knit dress for 400 SEK (just over £30), and a 3.1 Philip Lim shirt dress with silk skirt for 780 SEK (around £65). Sadly my spending money didn’t stretch to either of these, which means they may still be there, waiting for you…
Ginkgo Blommor & Inredning
Hornsgatan 60, 118 21 Stockholm, Sweden
A slightly different shop now – Ginkgo was a plant-lovers paradise and a nice change from all the clothes shops. Stocking everything from tiny succulents to huge cacti, it’s the ultimate plant paradise in the city. While I couldn’t fly any of these plants home with me, it did make a nice place to wonder around, and also pick up a little thank you gift for Sara.
Judits Second Hand
Hornsgatan 75, 118 49 Stockholm, Sweden
Meet Stockholm’s most fancy second hand store: Judits. Judits is home to a collection of hand-selected vintage pieces in pristine condition, all fitting a very pretty, very up-market aesthetic. I really enjoyed looking through the designs in this shop, as well as their extensive bag collection, and trying on clothes in their velvet curtain changing rooms. The downside to Judits is that everything is priced to match its worth, meaning there’s no bargains to be had, and almost all the labels are designer so there’s no thrills when you find one.
Röda Korset
Hornsgatan 54, 118 21 Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm has a number of Röda Korset shops, of which I visited two. These are your traditional charity shops (Röda Korset is the Swedish branch of the Red Cross), stocked full of second-hand steals.
In Hornsgatan, the Röda Korset shop is laid out in a more welcoming way: clothes are segmented by colour and style, making it easy to shop and find nice items. They also have a few clothes and bags here, coming from social enterprises.
Röda Korset
Östgötagatan 67, 116 64 Stockholm
The other Röda Korset I visited is closer to the most “hipster” part of town – Katarina-Sofia. There’s more homewares in this branch, as well as the more traditional “hang as many items as you can on a rail” policy. So you just may have to do a bit of sifting first – follow my guide to second-hand shopping if you haven’t already dipped your toes in the world of thrift shopping.
Stockholms Stadsmission
Skånegatan 75, 116 37 Stockholm, Sweden
One of the most popular second-hand shops in Stockholm is Stockholms Stadsmission. With at least seven shops across the city, there’s bound to be one in walking distance from wherever you’re staying, and for that be thankful: their collections are great. I was particularly taken with the shop in Katarina-Sofia, which had a pair of Swedish Hasbeens and a summery Chloé dress (although neither of them in my size…)
Studio Heijne
Kammakargatan 27, 111 60 Stockholm, Sweden
The final shop in my guide to ethical shops in Stockholm is Studio Heijne. Founded by Wendy Heijne, the shop provides ethical clothing that is made to measure. Unfortunately I didn’t get chance to visit Wendy’s shop, but I hope that I will get the chance when I visit the city next time.
