Reclaim puts second hand first for maternity, baby, kids

When I was pregnant, the options for buying maternity clothes locally were slim and if I added the extra stipulation of second-hand, I could count the possible locations on one hand, none of them great. But making better choices for the environment is an M.O. of mine so I did my duty sifting through each tiny rack of maternity in the thrift stores, found a few pieces on Marketplace… and still ended up ordering the bulk of my wardrobe online. Well the other day, I visited Reclaim Maternity Baby Kids, a new boutique in Saskatoon featuring a curated section of sustainably-made kids’ clothes 0-5 years and a large second-hand section of baby and maternity clothing. It was only then I realized how lacking our city had been in the pre-owned maternity market. “I wish this existed when I was pregnant,” I said. And not a word of a lie, the person who came in to drop off clothes to sell a few minutes later said the exact same thing.

I had the chance to catch up with Owner, Janel Edwards to chat about the Reclaim story, what they aim to do for the community, how you can sell your gently used baby and maternity items there, and other worthwhile tidbits of info. Read on and get excited about this awesome, locally-owned business!

S&L: Can you tell me about how Reclaim came to be?

Janel: Before opening Reclaim, I was a youth mental health crisis worker. Working with youth in crisis was rewarding, but taxing. I was assaulted on the job and tore the ligaments in my left thumb. My partner and I found out we were expecting in January, so I was unable to have reconstructive surgery right away. We then found out we were expecting twins in February, and then the whole world shut down.

I went through my entire pregnancy and post partum journey without the use of my left hand, which was tricky with newborn twins. I was home on maternity leave with my twins and found it very frustrating that I had to sort through racks and racks of secondhand baby clothes every couple of months as my babies grew. I thought there had to be a better way.

There are a couple of great boutiques in the city, but being a millennial parent has its challenges! The parenting world and economy is so much different than it was 10-15 years ago and caregivers these days generally don't have a large disposable income for luxury baby + pregnancy items. Creating an environment where people can shop in a boutique store setting with thrift store pricing is how our customer experience sets us apart from other thrifting shops.

Reclaim also carries maternity gowns to rent for photos or events.

S&L: Only a few years ago, I had such a hard time finding a great local selection of maternity wear, especially because I like to keep sustainability in mind. Why do you think the market has gone so under-served? And what made you take the plunge to make it happen NOW?

Janel: During my pregnancy there were so few affordable options. The chain stores shut down and the only real option was to buy online, a risky move during the height of the pandemic because of shipping delays. Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji were options but a platform with zero moderation can lend itself to error and scams, plus, you have to go to multiple locations to pick up your items.

Meanwhile, anything baby/maternity has a higher markup than typical items in the same space: a regular short sleeve top would sell for $20 while the same style in a maternity cut sells for around $50. With the prices of housing, gas, and food all consistently rising, people want to save that money to spend on needs for their baby. The maternity market has gone so underserved simply because there has been no one to challenge the status quo. Boutique stores carry amazing high end brands and the customer base that can afford that, does, while those who can’t afford it try to make do with what they have.

Reclaim means that people can feel comfortable in their clothing while pregnant and not have to open a credit card just to pay for pants.

S&L: What do you look for when people bring in their items to sell? Are there criteria to know ahead of time?

Janel: We’re very excited to be one of the only secondhand shops that will literally take everything you have! Any items we’re able to immediately sell, we pay you a fair market price. Any items that we’re able to repurpose and dye are bought by weight. Finally, any items that are damaged, stained, or just have too much wear on them can be left with us to be recycled. We just ask for freshly-laundered items, brought in a hard-sided bin and sorted by styles + size.

We buy items from the 1st to the 7th every month and pay cash or store credit— you can always join our waitlist to sell. The store credit option has been super popular because it’s worth 110% of your cash offer. It allows customers to sell us their maternity wardrobe, get a nursing wardrobe, then sell us back the nursing wardrobe to get clothes for baby.

S&L: How do you hope Reclaim will serve families in Saskatoon & why are you excited about the future?

Janel: The core of our business model is accessible sustainability and I am so incredibly proud that we’ve started with such a bang! We’ve taken extra careful steps to make sure that our store is stroller-friendly with spaces to change + feed your baby. We have snacks and water through out the store so that you and your companions are able to shop comfortably— a happy toddler is a happy shopper! We also have a bathroom accessible to customers because as a former pregnant person, I know that sometimes when you gotta go, it means leaving a store.

We’ve also been lucky to host our weekly Coffee + Caregivers event every Monday 9-10 which caters to anyone who is pregnant or caring for a little one. Guests range from doulas to post partum fitness instructors and lactation consultants. There’s free coffee + treats, an open space for you and your little on to practice tummy time while we chat, and a colouring + block station for older kids. There have been so many amazing, tear-filled conversations at these events in our 8 weeks of being open, it’s really opened my eyes to the need for a safe, inclusive space for parents to connect. We hope to expand in the future to be able to serve other market spaces and eventually would love to franchise across the country. For now, we’re focused on our community and making sure that we remain consistent, always striving to do better for our customers.

Thanks so much to Reclaim Owner, Janel Edwards for not just the thoughtful answers here, but for seeing a need in the community and doing something about it.

Visit Reclaim to browse clothes for ages 0-5, pick up some must-have products, choose from a lovely selection of maternity dresses available to rent, and of course shop the second-hand maternity clothing section.