Veepee, the e-commerce leader of flash-sales in Europe, which for over 20 years has been committed to creating a circular economy, conducted a study dedicated to the second-hand market on a European level. The study, realized in the third quarter of 2021 through a questionnaire sent to a sample of 6,000 Veepee members located throughout all of Europe, shows how the habits of modern consumers are guided by Eco-sustainability and by the convenience of pre-owned purchases, while Apparel and Home&Decor appear at the top of the classification of second-hand purchases.
Second-hand: a trend on the rise
From the survey it emerges how almost one out of every two members regularly purchases second-hand products. A consumption trend that is even stronger in Northern Europe than in Southern Europe, with 43% in the Netherlands compared to 29% in Spain, while in Italy it accounts for 30% of purchases. The reasons driving such purchases are mainly economically motivated (85%), but also ecological (75%), and regard in particular apparel, furnishings, and decorative objects for the home. At third place, and for 43% of those polled, the motivation is connected to the fact that second-hand is currently trending and fashionable (in Italy, in addition to the economic reasons characterising the purchases for 60% of those polled, environmental awareness and the fashionableness of second-hand are both reasons that 40% of those polled make such purchases).
Fashion drives second-hand purchases
If apparel is the second-hand product category most sought out by Veepee members (80%), other kinds of products are increasingly appreciated like furnishings and decorative objects (71%), and fashion accessories (bags, belts, etc.) (54%). This trend is reconfirmed also in Italy, even if the difference between product categories is less pronounced, with apparel, Home & Décor, and accessories respectively representing 60% and 50% of the most purchased second-hand items. On a European level, second-hand apparel and furnishings/decorative objects are among the items purchased with the greatest regularity for 57% and 49% of those polled, who confirmed they make such purchases 5 times a year. And if high-tech products, footwear, and luxury goods do not appear in the classification of second-hand goods regularly purchased, 24% and 21% of those polled confirm that a majority of their budget is dedicated to such items, with a monthly amount of over 100€ allotted to such products.
The preferred channels
The majority (66%) of Veepee members declare that they both purchase and sell second-hand items: 30% exclusively make purchases, while 3% confirm that they only sell. For both, purchases and sales, the online channel is the one used the most, conquering Europeans above all through the offering proposed by specialised sites (78%) and marketplaces (41%): a trend that is not quite so prominent in Italy, where 53% of those polled still prefer going to specialised physical stores for their second-hand purchases (while one-third go to the physical store to sell).
Attention increasingly on “Eco-friendly” products
86% of those polled confirm they are attentive to companies that recycle, and which are eco-friendly in their practices. Productive processes and packaging respectful of the environment are respectively important for 52% and 56% of those polled in the study and is considered very important with the majority in agreement on the fact that they are essential elements. What happens to products that are no longer desired? In 65% of the cases, they are donated, preferably to friends or family, or to charity for 57% of those interviewed. 50% instead stow them away in containers and 37% put them onto the second-hand market, while only 11% recycle them. 70%, instead, confirm it is just as important for the brand to be committed to an eco-sustainable approach, and in Italy, this aspect is even more important for 90% of those polled. In terms of expectations, 62% would like to have access to a greater number of second-hand items, especially in terms of apparel and Home & Decor: a signal for brands that it is increasingly important for them to pay attention to a phenomenon with such high potential.
