Harriet Noy, 26, founded Hazaar, a platform that promotes sustainable fashion among students by facilitating secondhand clothing exchanges on campuses.
Spotting a Market Gap
While studying at the University of Birmingham, Harriet Noy from Manchester identified a key issue: students frequently purchased inexpensive, single-use items like fancy dress costumes from online retailers.
“I noticed all my friends were always Amazon Priming fancy dress costumes every single week,” Harriet Noy explains. “As a student, you have a constant need for new things and end up buying items you’ll only use once.”
She launched campus-based marketplaces to eliminate postage costs, allowing students to list items and meet for handovers, such as outside the library. This approach makes sustainable shopping convenient and affordable.
Rapid Growth and App Development
Harriet began with Facebook groups, attracting 20,000 student sign-ups through campus posters. After graduating, she built a dedicated app featuring carbon footprint reporting and sold access to universities, covering costs for students.
“The key is making the sustainable option the cheapest, most affordable, and desirable—often better than buying new,” she states. Interviews with students reveal preferences for low-cost brands like Shein, prompting efforts to shift habits toward sustainability.
Business Pivot and Expansion
Facing challenges scaling university partnerships amid budget constraints, Harriet Noy achieved over £120,000 in annual turnover. Fashion brands then approached her with excess stock, inspiring a model update.
The platform now combines student-to-student resales with discounted brand items exclusive to verified students. “The price point is much lower than elsewhere, and students must verify their status,” Harriet Noy notes. This diverts stock from landfills.
Lessons and Future Vision
As a young entrepreneur since 2020, Harriet Noy credits networking with experienced owners for success. “People are rooting for you,” she says.
She advises against chasing investments prematurely: “Investment should only support scaling a proven model. Early on, it distracted from validating the business.”
Hazaar aims to become the go-to platform for brands targeting students and a trusted, affordable community for sustainable fashion choices.
