Causee, a new not-for-profit online marketplace that turns everyday buying and selling into charitable giving, is launching this autumn, with education charity Pepala announced as its founding charity partner.
The UK-based marketplace will initially focus on second-hand fashion, enabling people to buy and sell pre-owned items, while also giving small businesses and crafters a platform to sell their products, with every transaction supporting good causes.
Unlike conventional resale platforms and marketplaces that connect buyers with independent sellers, Causee uses buyer protection fees to cover its costs, with all remaining surplus profits donated to charity. Buyers and sellers are not asked to make an additional donation or opt into a charitable contribution, as social impact is built into the marketplace model itself.
Pepala will be the first charity to benefit from the model, receiving a share of Causee’s annual surplus profits to support its work providing educational supplies to children in Malawi.
The partnership marks the first of a number of charitable collaborations planned as Causee grows, with the platform also set to expand beyond its initial focus on second-hand fashion into additional product categories in the future.
The launch comes as consumer demand for more meaningful forms of sustainable shopping continues to grow. Three in five Britons now say sustainability is important when shopping for fashion, while 60% favour sustainable brands, up from 42% in 2020. Among Gen Z consumers specifically – a generation with spending power expected to exceed $12 trillion by 2030 – almost two-thirds say they are more likely to buy from brands that can demonstrate sustainable and ethical practices.
For Tanweer Khan, Founder and CEO of Causee, this growing demand for authentic purpose shows that retail is heading in a new direction, with businesses needing to build social impact into their business models rather than rely on traditional CSR campaigns.
He comments: “The growing economic impact of Gen Z – a generation raised in the shadow of the climate crisis – has made CSR initiatives standard practice for retailers. In fact, with the UK sustainable fashion market projected to reach $2.2 billion by 2033, it’s rare that a major consumer-facing brand misses a chance to highlight their annual CSR, sustainability, or purpose messaging. But for me, retail is changing. Consumers are increasingly looking beyond this and asking whether a company’s values are reflected in the way it actually operates. Too often, charitable giving is treated as an optional extra, whether that’s asking customers to donate at the checkout or running a short-term campaign. The goal with Causee is to disrupt traditional ecommerce by turning online shopping into a force for good. It’s built around the concept that social impact should be part of the business model itself, allowing surplus profits to directly support charities like Pepala rather than shareholders.”
Founded in 2025, Pepala works to divert unwanted educational resources from landfill and into schools across Malawi. Since launching, the charity has delivered more than 120,000 donated items, including books, stationery, sports equipment and school supplies.
Amara Sharif, Executive Director of Pepala, added: “We’re thrilled to partner with Causee and become its founding charity partner. What makes this collaboration so exciting is the shared belief that everyday actions can create meaningful, sustainable, change. By connecting commerce with social impact, Causee is creating a new way for people to support causes they care about, and we’re excited to see the difference both this partnership and this new retail model can make.”
For more information visit: causee.com
