The UK’s first student-focused marketplace, Hazaar, has officially launched with a proposition that combines sustainability, affordability, and brand engagement. The ecommerce platform connects students with leading lifestyle and fashion brands by selling excess stock at prices tailored to student budgets.
The platform’s debut drop features 11 brand partners, including Hydroflask, Osprey, Elliker, Art of Football, Plastic Freedom, CDG London and EMRLD. Each curated drop is released every two weeks and timed to key student milestones such as Freshers and graduation. Prices are revealed exclusively to verified students upon sign-in, and orders are fulfilled via drop shipping directly from the brand to the student shopper.
For retailers, Hazaar offers a strategic solution to one of the industry’s most persistent challenges: surplus inventory. By converting returns, refurbished items, and last-season stock into limited-edition student drops, brands can transform excess stock from a liability into a loyalty-building tool. This approach not only generates revenue but also demonstrates a commitment to sustainability. Hazaar’s model ensures that no new products enter the consumption cycle, reinforcing its sustainability credentials.
Connecting with Gen Z
The opportunity extends beyond inventory management. By giving students access to products at cultural and academic milestones, brands can increase reach and build loyalty among Gen Z users – who are digital natives, highly engaged online, and at the start of their consumer lifecycle. The opportunity is there to create a pipeline of future customers who carry their loyalty beyond graduation, becoming repeat buyers and brand advocates.
Hazaar was initially founded in 2020 as a Facebook community by second-year University of Birmingham student Harriet Noy, with the aim of helping students save money and reduce waste by trading items on campus. The community has since grown into a nationwide platform with a database of over 23,000 students and is now leveraging that network to redefine how brands engage with Gen Z consumers.
“Conscious choices”
“For students, rising prices and a growing desire to shop sustainably often make well-known brands feel out of reach,” said Harriet Noy, founder and CEO of Hazaar. “We’re changing that by providing students with exclusive access to the products they love at prices that fit their budgets. Beyond affordability, we’re helping them make conscious choices that align with their values, proving that style and sustainability don’t have to be mutually exclusive.”
Luke Cuthbert, co-founder and director of Art of Football, added: “Hazaar has built a vibrant community that’s redefining the way people approach fashion, making conscious consumption accessible to the next generation of consumers. This partnership represents a shared commitment to shaping a more sustainable future for fashion, where every purchase is thoughtful and every item finds a home.”
Although Hazaar may be the UK’s first student-focused marketplace, it nonetheless signals a broader trend in retail: the convergence of sustainability, affordability, and community-driven commerce. For brands seeking to engage Gen Z while tackling inventory challenges, platforms like Hazaar offer a compelling blueprint for the future.
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