The two crutches that Dinah Bromberg, 63, bought after her left knee injury were ideal. Especially since he paid half of their original price for it. He saw it in an online thrift store and made a deal with the previous owner within 10 minutes. The purchase of reused products is making great progress and is gaining more and more supporters given the high prices, which, although they have eased throughout the year, continue to keep household consumption in check.
Offering what is not needed has become a big market. Clothing chain Humana increased sales from 4.2 million garments in 2020 to 6.2 million in 2022 and Wallapop, the largest digital mall for these types of items, increased its 2019 sales by 260% compared to the previous year.
Just one step away from Black Friday, which kicks off the holiday shopping season, more and more consumers are seeing this market as an opportunity to save on the significant expenses that are usually planned for these dates. A study by Dutch consulting firm KPMG predicts that 54% of shoppers will buy used products next Black Friday. According to a survey by the Wallapop platform, they will primarily be looking for household items, for children and babies, clothing and shoes.
Customers are constantly coming and going from a Humana store in the center of Madrid, seduced by the ridiculous prices on the colorful and varied clothing. Up to one and a half euros for a sports shirt in good condition, eight for a jacket with no apparent use. Born from the Pueblo para Pueblo Foundation, the company has opened 15 stores in the last eight years, mainly in the capital and Barcelona, and already has 51 branches throughout Spain.
Looking for a scarf among the shelves of various accessories, 23-year-old Irishman Ríos says he hasn’t bought any new items since giving birth and now does most of his shopping in stores like Humana or Wallapop. “Mostly sneakers,” he admits, “which can be up to 40% off.” He also shares that most of the items he buys usually arrive in perfect condition and that the savings can be significant. A study by the consulting firm Deloitte indicates that this type of goods are on average 44% cheaper than new goods.
José Luis Nueno, Professor of Marketing at IESE and Intend HQ Chair in Changes in Consumer Behavior, points out that “shoppers have lost their attachment to goods.” The retail expert claims that even before buying (especially clothes), consumers think about selling them, “for the same reason they try to spend as little as possible.” The Wallapop platform, which already brings together 17 million buyers in Spain , conducted a survey showing that at least 70% of users plan to buy used products as Christmas gifts.
“Reused fashion has removed the label of bad,” explains Rafael Más, director of projects and external relations at Humana, who explains that Spain is increasingly penetrated by the consumer consciousness of the Nordic countries, England or Germany, which is why this type of garment is used are increasingly perceived as a prestigious alternative. He also explains that it is a tempting option, especially for the new generations who “have less purchasing power”. Edurne de Oteiza, Director of Management and Innovation at Wallapop, also adds that every purchase of this type has a positive impact on the environment. According to the Moda RE report, around 900,000 tons of clothing are thrown away every year in Spain and 88% end up in landfills.
Generation Z, divided into age groups, is the one who originally shaped this type of consumption. However, buying and selling platform Vinted warns that the trend already covers a wider age range. The online store’s CEO, Adam Jay, explains that when Vinted was founded in 2008, it had a predominantly younger female demographic (between 18 and 25 years old), but this has increased in recent years and the demographic is now the largest Women aged around 18 to 45 years. Vinted’s sales also increased by 51% to 370.2 million euros in 2022 compared to 245.1 million euros in 2021.
Used purchase report. People looking at clothes and shopping at Humana Vintage store on Hortaleza Street. INMA FLORES
Lourdes Ferrer, CEO of Percentil, a company that manages the sale of second-hand clothing, points out that it was only with the pandemic that people began to see this type of consumption as something more normal. He attributes the change to regulations promoted by Brussels that aim to reduce waste production by 30% by 2030. Ferrer interprets that the legislation has pushed companies to make this goal one of their priorities. “The fact that big textile companies are talking about this has created awareness among consumers of all ages,” he explains. The mastodons of fast fashion also want to jump on the bandwagon of this type of consumption. At the end of 2022, H&M and Inditex announced that they were working on launching a line of reused clothing.
The founder of Percentil also notes that thanks to this change in mentality, he has managed to sell clothes at higher prices. “If we manage to bring reused goods to market at a high enough level, fashion companies will be able to integrate this segment into their growth strategy and it will no longer be insignificant for the fashion industry.” Ferrer adds that there is no narrative in favor of her platform of higher consumption – as is common on Black Friday – as the brand advocates reducing the carbon footprint of each item of clothing purchased. “If they want to buy a lot, it’s better to buy used,” he says. The Madrid-based company already boasts of having managed 50 tons of clothing for a number of major fast fashion companies, while in 2020 that number was zero.
Bromberg, walking through the Humana store on Alcalá Street in the capital, says that in addition to making his finances easier, online second-hand shopping also gives him an excuse to strike up conversations with new people: ” Sometimes it’s very beautiful. “You don’t know who you’re going to meet.” Purchasing these types of items is described as the best way to contribute to the circular economy. “You also save money that you can use for other things,” he emphasizes, admitting with a laugh that he has never minded buying reused or even “foreign” items. If the doctor finally rules out surgery, he will resell the crutches the next day.
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