Secondhand goods and reuse in Japan - statistics & facts
Secondhand goods and reuse are gaining traction amid a globally rising focus on environmental issues and declining resources. The process of fixing items and giving them a second life is not new in Japan. In general, wasteful behavior is frowned upon and referred to as “mottainai”, an expression of regret towards the act and the loss of resources. However, overconsumption in the past decades has deviated from this mentality, driven by short product lifecycles and intensive marketing to motivate the purchase of the newest consumer goods. In response to the resulting challenges in waste management and environmental protection, officials, media, and environmentalists have been promoting the 3Rs – reduce, reuse, and recycle. The commitment to reusing instead of buying new benefits from this promotion as consumer aversion towards secondhand goods is declining.
Secondhand stores are built on B2C transactions, in which businesses buy up unwanted consumer goods and return them to the market. Various store brands have successfully consolidated their position in Japan through different product strategies. Bookoff is a major reseller of used media such as books, DVDs, and video games that also has sections for fan merchandise. Komehyo built a store network focusing on branded fashion and accessories, competing against the 2nd Street stores operated by Geo Corporation. Major B2C e-commerce platforms joined the competition through their online auction and C2C services for all types of products, further diversifying reselling options on- and offline.
A topic that has been motivating reuse and secondhand practices is the rising awareness of sustainable consumption. Reusing household items, buying only necessary products, and making use of secondhand services are lifestyle habits that make ethical consumption practices easily accessible to consumers.
From parking spaces to virtual marketplaces
The secondhand and reuse markets in Japan are closely intertwined, with the terms often used synonymously. Items that have once passed the hands of a consumer are considered used goods, regardless of their condition. Large parking spaces or temple grounds used to be the main way of reselling such items, but business formats and sales channels vary widely nowadays. Flea market applications and online auctions have moved many C2C transactions to the internet. The users of online C2C resale options are mainly aged between their twenties and forties.Secondhand stores are built on B2C transactions, in which businesses buy up unwanted consumer goods and return them to the market. Various store brands have successfully consolidated their position in Japan through different product strategies. Bookoff is a major reseller of used media such as books, DVDs, and video games that also has sections for fan merchandise. Komehyo built a store network focusing on branded fashion and accessories, competing against the 2nd Street stores operated by Geo Corporation. Major B2C e-commerce platforms joined the competition through their online auction and C2C services for all types of products, further diversifying reselling options on- and offline.
Reusing and repurposing for different goals
Consumers have benefited from the growing number of services for reselling used goods, as businesses compete to outdo each other with the best pricing strategy and simplicity of processes. But the motivations for participating in the market differ and range from recovering a part of the expenses to freeing up space in inventory. The type of products purchased secondhand is another factor. While durables like consumer electronics or media are purchased as affordable deals, nondurables like cosmetics are bought as trial products.A topic that has been motivating reuse and secondhand practices is the rising awareness of sustainable consumption. Reusing household items, buying only necessary products, and making use of secondhand services are lifestyle habits that make ethical consumption practices easily accessible to consumers.
