Desired places for more secondhand goods among consumers in Europe 2021

When asked in what kinds of places they would like to see more secondhand or reconditioned products, consumers in Sweden opted for physical shops belonging to a major brand. This was a popular answer with French consumers as well, 58 percent of whom said they would like to see more secondhand goods in such places. In general, online marketplaces and physical shops of leading brands were the primary locations consumers were hoping to find more secondhand or reconditioned goods.

Sustainability is the leading motivation for secondhand purchases

As the environmental impact of fashion becomes more apparent and gets addressed more frequently in the industry, an increasing number of consumers are turning to secondhand and vintage clothing as their preferred mode of fashion consumption. According to a survey conducted with the users of the popular secondhand fashion platform Depop, secondhand clothing purchases of shoppers were driven by sustainability, with 75 percent of respondents citing ‘reducing consumption’ as their main motivation.

Resale market is to grow even more rapidly

As consumer awareness and retailer interest in secondhand, vintage, and resale grows, so does the secondhand apparel market. By 2025, the market is forecast to grow to 47 billion U.S. dollars in the resale segment only. Together with thrift stores and donations, the secondhand market is predicted to reach a value of 87 billion U.S. dollars globally.