More than half of the UK adult population have bought a second-hand item online in the last year – and it’s not just the youngest clicking away, as older consumers are also driving the second-hand shopping mega-trend, according to Evri’s inaugural UK Ecommerce Pulse report.
The UK’s largest dedicated parcel delivery firm found that 55% of the adult population – around 28 million – have purchased a pre-loved item online in the last 12 months. On the flip side, 47% of adults have also sold a second-hand item online over this period, highlighting how people are also making money from the pre-loved items in their wardrobes, lofts or garages.
Younger shoppers are the engine of the pre-loved boom as more than two-thirds, or 67%, of those aged 18-34 have bought second-hand items in the last year. Perhaps surprisingly, 61% of those aged 35-54 also shopped online for pre-loved items in the last 12 months, as online marketplaces offering second-hand goods become part of the lives of consumers.
Martijn de Lange, CEO at Evri, said: “The pre-loved revolution in online shopping is still in its infancy and we see a long runway of growth ahead. Whether it is a desire to shop more sustainably, find unique items, or save and make money, consumers have caught the second-hand online shopping bug. The reality is that consumers are finding their own properties and those of others veritable treasure troves of pre-loved items from dresses to tech gadgets – and this is fuelling this bargain-hunting phenomenon online.”
He added: “Evri celebrated its 50th anniversary this year and as a partner to most of the UK’s biggest retailers and online marketplaces, we continue to see first-hand how pre-loved and other online shopping habits continue to evolve at pace.”
Evri’s polling found that one in ten UK consumers purchase second-hand items several times a month.
The findings are supported by Evri’s own data – as it has witnessed first-hand the explosive growth of second-hand platforms, experiencing a staggering 160% year-on-year increase in parcel volumes on these platforms.
That said, there are some generational differences in shopping behaviour, as only 40% of those aged over 55 bought or sold a second-hand item in the last year.
Evri’s Pulse also found that thriftiness amidst ongoing cost-of-living pressures was cited as the main reason behind the growing demand for pre-loved shopping, as 75% of those surveyed said the need to save cash led them to go bargain-hunting online. The popularity of second-hand sites has also soared as 30% of shoppers enjoy searching for unique items, such as vintage clothing.
Nearly a quarter, or 24%, of respondents cited sustainability or reduced carbon footprint as a key reason for pre-loved shopping, as consumers have become increasingly aware of the environmental impact of sectors, such as the fast-fashion industry. The research revealed a stark gender divide in attitudes towards the importance of shopping sustainably – while a third of women cited sustainability as a reason for shopping online for pre-loved items, only 18% of male respondents said the same.
Evri is committed to becoming the UK’s leading sustainable parcel delivery company – targeting net-zero emissions by 2035, with plans for the largest sustainable fleet in the sector and striving for 100% renewable energy. Earlier in 2024, Evri announced a further £19m multi-year investment in sustainability to drive the company’s ambitions of tripling its fleet of e-cargo bikes from 33 to almost 100.
For Evri’s Ecommerce Pulse, FGS Global, the strategic communications firm, conducted an extensive poll of 4,012 UK adults, weighted to be nationally representative based on gender, location, and ethnicity, between the 15th – 21st of July 2024.
Industry analysts expect the pre-loved market to continue to grow strongly. In fashion alone, sales of pre-owned clothes soared by 18% to $197bn (£156bn) last year and are forecast to reach $350bn by 2028, according to GlobalData.
