In recent years, the second-hand market has been on the incline, with popular sites such as eBay and Vinted contributing to this spike. It is estimated that the global second-hand market surged by 18% last year and will continue to increase by 11% annually, according to ThredUp.

More and more people are opting for second-hand in order to reduce costs, whilst also making more environmentally conscious purchases. The threat of global warming is not one that we can continue to ignore, so it’s small actions like these that can help us as individuals to reduce our carbon emissions.

Far from just a trend, buying second-hand is here to stay and benefits us all. Let’s take a further look at why purchasing used goods will never go out of style.

Reduced prices

With the ever-increasing cost of living, people simply can’t afford to shop how they used to. A study commissioned by Trustpilot found that 57% of people are opting for second-hand as a direct consequence of the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Used goods come with a reduced price tag, making them a great alternative if “new with tags” isn’t a huge priority for you. It allows people to still purchase the things they need, but within a budget they can actually afford.

Just because something is pre-loved, does not mean that it is any less functional. Often still with plenty of life left in them, buying used items such as tech and clothing can save you money without compromising on quality.

Lessened environmental impact

Nowadays, we can buy almost anything second-hand, with one of the largest second-hand industry being clothes. The same study by Trustpilot revealed that 41% of people buy second-hand because of a growing desire to shop more sustainably.

According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 85% of clothing ends up in landfill or is incinerated. So, by upcycling or selling unwanted clothes, the pollution created by the manufacturing process, and the raw materials required, is significantly reduced.

Producing new items requires the use of natural resources which are finite and therefore demand efforts like second-hand shopping to slow this down. As of last year, scientists estimate that we only have 40 years of oil left if we continue to consume raw materials at our current rate.

Access to luxury brands

Buying second-hand allows for lower costs, which makes luxury and designer brands more widely available to people who may not have been able to afford them before. In recent years, we have found this to branch out much further than just clothes and accessories.

In fact, the used kitchen market is growing significantly, especially given that the cost of a fully new install has increased by 22% over the last four years, with luxury installations setting buyers back by as much as £28,000.

Not only does purchasing second-hand interiors such as this reduce waste and prevent a perfectly good kitchen from being sent to landfill, but it also helps lessen the resources and carbon footprint associated with manufacturing new kitchens and appliances.

For many, achieving luxury and designer interiors may seem unobtainable, but the second-hand market allows people to achieve this on a reduced budget. It gives a second life to high-quality furnishings and appliances that may have otherwise gone to waste.

More unique finds

The beauty of pre-loved is that unique and bespoke items end up circulating for more people to enjoy. As they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and this is most definitely true for one of a kind, second-hand items.

It gives access to vintage and hard-to-source pieces that are no longer in production and may have only been released on a small scale.

To conclude, unique and pre-loved items have gained a more positive reputation as buying second-hand is becoming more normalised and desirable.

As the second-hand market continues to grow, more and more people are joining the movement to save money, reduce waste and access items that they otherwise wouldn’t have considered purchasing.

There will always be wider benefits of buying and selling pre-loved items that still have plenty of life left in them and don’t need to be discarded.

 

Daniel Abrahams, founder of Used Kitchen Hub