About half of the consumers shopped second-hand/used online
In 2021, just under half of e-commerce consumers (45%) said they had shopped online for second-hand/used goods at some point during the year.
This means that just under one in two people shop online for second-hand/used goods at least once a year. Of those who reported shopping for second-hand/used goods in 2021, it was most common to make between 3 and 5 purchases a year. Only around 10 percent of consumers buy second-hand/used goods online more than 5 times a year. Women, aged 18–49, stand out among those who buy second-hand/used goods very often.
Consumers’ favorite websites for second-hand/used goods remain relatively unchanged compared to 2020. Tradera remains the favorite, followed by Facebook Marketplace. Blocket comes in third place. Facebook’s continued rise in popularity is unsurprising, as the platform offers the service for free, has a huge user base and consumers can use both the Marketplace and specific groups to sell their second-hand/used goods, thereby pinpointing demand.
Furniture and home furnishings are the most popular second-hand/used items to purchase
It is mainly furniture and home furnishings that are bought second-hand/used online. Of the consumers surveyed in 2021, around 35 percent said that at least one purchase had been made in this category. This category is and will remain strong because regardless of sex and age, and whether you are renting your first apartment or renovating the house you have owned for 20 years, you will almost always be in need of furniture and home furnishings. With a long life, a wide range and expensive new purchases, this category is ideal for the second-hand market.
The second most popular product category, as in 2020, was clothing and footwear, which 27 percent said they bought second-hand. However, unlike furniture and home furnishings, there are clearer age groupings in this category. Individuals under 50, especially those between 18–29, and women, drive the category’s popularity.
Children’s items and toys are the third most popular second-hand/used category, with 21 percent saying they have shopped online in this category. Children’s and baby products are used for a short period of time, they break easily and children quickly grow out of them. Being able to buy and sell clothes, toys and other children’s items second-hand/used is therefore of particular interest and makes the category popular among consumers who either have or are expecting children. As with clothing and footwear, there is therefore a clear age division here. The popularity of this category is mainly driven by parents of young children and parents-to-be aged 30-49.
E-retailers focus on circular solutions
The expansion of online shop- ping has received both praise and criticism. Time-efficient, convenient and more economical, advocates say. However, e-commerce has also been criticized. In particular, some consider it to be less sustainable in comparison with physical commerce.
However, it is clear that e-commerce companies are working to reduce their carbon footprint. An increasing number of companies are using recyclable packaging materials, and many are working to reduce the amount of air in their packaging. The number of e-commerce companies using recyclable packaging in 2021 compared to 2020 increased by as many as 8 percentage points. One example is Gina Tricot, which has started to offer its customers the circular service RePack. This means that customers can have their goods delivered in a package that can be returned to the nearest mailbox. The packaging is then reused for new deliveries
Source: The E-barometern annual report 2021
